Resins for electric charging stations require: transparency and opacity in a wide range of colors; toughness to prevent tampering and resist impact; ignition resistance and flame retardancy to assure safety. They also need to be weather-resistant, being sited primarily outdoors.

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Resin supplier Trinseo is working with manufacturers of charging station housings to specify polycarbonate-based compounds and blends that are durable enough to withstand weather extremes including temperatures as low as -60°C. One resin in particular – Emerge polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) 7570 resin – reportedly delivers design freedom, resists impacts at a range of temperatures, handles extreme mechanical loads, tolerates abuse due to vandalism, and provides ignition resistance. The resin is a high flow, ignition-resistant blend that contains now chlorinated or brominated additives.

Supports electric vehicle infrastructure as EV market forecast surge to 41 million vehicles by 2040, representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide

Government regulations and consumer demand, driven by a desire to reduce carbon emissions, have pushed automakers to develop plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles. A new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) forecasts that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will hit 41 million by 2040, representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide. The switch to alternative energy sources and low-emission vehicles is a growing global trend. As a result, most automobile OEMs have placed an emphasis on launching their own electric vehicle (EV) models. Navigant Research forecasts that EV sales will grow from 2.7 million vehicles in 2014 to 6.4 million vehicles in 2023.

Key requirements of plastics used in vehicle charging stations include high impact strength to prevent tampering and vandalism.

But creating and manufacturing EVs isn’t the only thing needed to get these cars on the road. Communities need new infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations, to support these alternative-energy vehicles. As a material supplier to the automotive and electrical industries, Trinseo is providing the polycarbonate-based compounds and blends for vehicle charging stations needed to keep EVs charged and ready.