New Development Track For New Energy Battery Packs
Aug 21, 2026
Since 2026, the new-energy vehicle industry has been undergoing in-depth transformation toward longer driving range, enhanced safety, lower costs and green low-carbon performance. As the core power unit of a complete vehicle, the material and structural design of a battery pack housing directly determine vehicle driving range, safety rating and whole-life-cycle operating costs. Against this industrial backdrop, driven by iterative improvements in integrated compression-molding processes, thermoplastic and thermoset compression-molded composite materials are comprehensively replacing conventional metal housings thanks to their combined strengths of light weight, high specific strength, insulation and corrosion resistance, structural integration and recyclability. Composite-material battery packs have been mass-produced and fitted on multiple brands and vehicle models. Currently, compression-molded composite battery packs have entered a large-scale popularization phase, ushering in a new era of new-energy battery upgrades.
I. Innovations in Material Performance
Mainstream compression‑molded composites in the industry use glass fiber, carbon fiber and basalt fiber as reinforcing substrates combined with matrix materials such as epoxy resin and thermoplastic resin. They are cured and shaped under high temperature and high pressure, falling into two core categories: thermoset composites and thermoplastic composites, for mass‑production applications of different vehicle models.
First, SMC (Sheet Molding Compound, thermoset composite) serves as the dominant material for battery pack upper covers. It features ultra-high flame retardancy and insulation, reaching a V-0 flame-retardant rating. It resists ignition and smoke emission under heat and effectively blocks the propagation of battery thermal runaway, granting occupants valuable escape time. Boasting resistance to extreme temperatures, corrosion and deformation, it adapts reliably to complex on-vehicle operating conditions and eliminates safety hazards caused by excessive thermal conductivity and oxidation of metal housings.
Second, CFRT (Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic)excels in lightweight performance and high strength and is widely used for battery pack lower housings and integrated enclosures. Composite housings manufactured via compression molding achieve an overall weight reduction of 30%‑40%, substantially lowering curb weight and directly extending vehicle driving range. With specific strength and specific stiffness far superior to conventional steel, the material delivers outstanding impact resistance to protect battery cells against undercarriage collisions and road‑surface impacts. In addition, its recyclability and reprocessability offer environmental benefits aligned with the low-carbon development trend of new‑energy vehicles.
II. Iteration of Compression-Molding Processes
The industry has innovatively launched a hybrid "compression molding + injection molding" process. It enables one‑piece integration of liquid‑cooling channels, mounting supports and sealing grooves, realizing multi‑functional battery housings that combine structural integrity, heat dissipation and installation interfaces for next‑generation battery integration architectures such as CTP and CTC
On the mold-support side, dedicated composite compression-molding molds have been comprehensively upgraded. By optimizing mold temperature-control systems, parting-line venting structures and cavity pressure parameters, manufacturers mitigate molding defects including voids, deformation and short shots. Optimized mold heat-treatment and surface-polishing workflows tailored for various fiber and resin systems greatly improve dimensional accuracy and visual consistency of battery-pack housings, with the yield rate steadily exceeding 98%. Compared with metal molds, composite compression-molding molds feature simpler structures and lower maintenance costs, helping cut overall mass-production costs for battery packs.
III. Industrial Market Landscape
Spurred by rapid growth of the downstream new-energy vehicle sector and policy incentives for lightweighting and safety, the market for compression-molded composites for battery packs is experiencing explosive growth. Statistics show that the domestic market size of dedicated compression-molded composites for EV battery packs reached RMB 4.86 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 19.3%, outpacing the overall growth rate of the automotive composite industry. The market continues its steady expansion in 2026.
International cooperation and technological upgrading move forward simultaneously. Global R&D centers carry out special technical cooperation to align domestic processes and standards for composite-material battery packs with high-end international systems. Enterprises keep refining thermoplastic composite compression-molding technologiesand roll out benchmark products such as integrated liquid-cooled battery housings and high-flame-retardant lightweight upper covers to meet demands of premium new-energy vehicle models.
IV. Industry Development Trends
The new-energy battery-pack industry is now in a triple-iteration cycle driven by material innovation, process upgrading and structural integration. With comprehensive performance advantages, compression-molded composites are gradually replacing traditional steel and aluminum and becoming the mainstream structural solution for battery packs. Three core industry trends are emerging:
First, continuously rising integration levels. Compression-molding technology is evolving from simple housing forming toward multi-functional one-piece molding that combines structural performance, heat dissipation, sealing and electromagnetic shielding. It closely follows CTC and vehicle-level integration trends to shrink component dimensions and improve space utilization inside battery packs.
Second, customized matching of materials and molds becomes mainstream. For vehicle models with different driving-range targets and safety requirements, manufacturers will realize tailored matching of resin systems, fiber specifications, compression-molding parameters and mold settings. This balances ultimate performance with mass-production costs and accelerates the popularization of composite-material battery packs from premium vehicles to mass-market models.
Third, maturing green mass-production systems. Further tapping the recyclability of thermoplastic compression-molded composites, the industry is building a closed-loop industrial chain of "production-application-recovery-reuse". In compliance with the Dual-Carbon Strategy, it acts as a key enabler for lightweight low-carbon development of new-energy vehicles.
Compression-molded composite processes will keep evolving, while molds grow more refined and intelligent. As mass-production costs keep falling and safety standards tighten, compression-molded composite battery packs will become standard equipment for new-energy vehicles and fully underpin high-quality development of the new-energy industry.
