Electric vehicles are everywhere – and their journey from novelty to norm is gaining pace. Global EV production is expected to top 28 million units by 2028, almost a third of all light vehicles. Battery systems are at the centre of this transformation, driving new standards in range, performance, and safety. It is a shift reshaping how cars are built, right down to the materials and manufacturing processes that make them.
As regulators tighten fire safety standards and customers expect both lower carbon footprints and better ranges, automakers are rethinking their supply chains. Combining durability and weight reduction is critical. Every component – from dashboards to battery enclosures – must minimize weight and costs while maximizing efficiency.
In a recent webinar, experts from Mitsubishi Chemical Group – one of the key material suppliers in the EV revolution – discussed the kind of advanced materials helping automotive manufacturers stay ahead. Hosted by Just Auto’s David Leggett, the session featured Matt Orlando, OEM Director for the Americas, Fallyn Flaherty-Earp, Market Director for Automotive and Digital Americas, and Marcel Remp, EMEA Lead for Automotive.
What Modern Mobility Demands and What MCG Delivers
EV makers want lighter vehicles, tougher safety standards and cleaner production. Governments are pushing for net-zero goals. Customers expect better performance with fewer trade-offs. Solving these challenges requires a whole raft of material innovations. The panel highlighted how materials can be designed to address this cocktail of requirements – weight, durability, sustainability, and design.
For example, KyronMax, one of MCG’s flagship materials, offers the strength of metal with the mouldability of plastic. This makes it ideal for structural applications such as brackets and underbody parts. Its high flow and strength-to-weight ratio allow manufacturers to simplify parts and reduce cost, all without compromising safety. Flaherty-Earp turned the spotlight on interiors, and Marvyflo, a slush-moulding compound used in soft-touch surfaces like dashboards. It offers superior shape retention, low shrinkage, and excellent heat resistance – critical for parts exposed to direct sunlight. Lighter grades of Marvyflo can cut component weight by as much as 15%. Flaherty-Earp also highlighted Xantar, a polycarbonate alloy used in applications requiring both clarity and strength. Resisting scratches and withstanding wide temperature ranges, it is gaining widespread industry traction in applications requiring durable, high-end finishes. Another standout is Durabio, a plant-derived engineering polymer. Durabio eliminates the need for painting, helping manufacturers reduce emissions and streamline production. It also enables deeper colours and a glossy finish straight from the mould; little wonder many OEMs are already using it in exterior trims and grilles.
Matt Orlando then moved on to the day’s critical issue: batteries. As EV adoption grows, so do fire risks. Managing thermal runaway is essential. This is where THERMINSYNX comes in. A thermal spacer that transfers heat during normal operation and insulates when temperatures spike, it powerfully inhibits fire propagation and protects neighbouring cells. For sealing, insulation and lightweight structural applications, MCG’s TEFABLOC and NOVADURAN materials are leading the market. NOVADURAN, a flame-retardant polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), is especially suited to high-voltage components and connectors. Meanwhile TEFABLOC, a thermoplastic elastomer, is used in sealing systems where flexibility and heat resistance are key.
For exterior applications, Orlando highlighted ACRYKING, an advanced coating system used on headlamps and other exposed surfaces. It provides long-term protection against UV degradation and physical wear – as well as being free from PFAS and other harmful additives, a growing priority against a backdrop of tightening environmental regulations across the world.
MCG’s Edge
MCG’s global footprint and deep R&D investment make them a tried and trusted development partner for some of the world’s top auto businesses. They work with OEMs to co-engineer parts, simulate performance and solve manufacturing challenges. With technical centres across Japan, Europe and the US, they offer hands-on support in every major market.
Their testing capabilities are unmatched, boasting proprietary fire testing protocols that mimic the extreme conditions of a battery fire – flame velocity, temperature, and pressure included. This has led to material breakthroughs that outpace conventional lab standards and stand up in real-world scenarios. And the company is investing heavily in circularity, with bio-based inputs, recyclable compounds and lightweight parts designed to extend vehicle life all ingrained in their strategy.
With electrification forcing change at every level of the car, manufacturers have more variables than ever before to keep on top of. Battery systems need better heat management. Interiors must feel premium but weigh less. Every gram counts and each process must become cleaner. MCG materials are designed with this philosophy at the centre, futureproofing those on the frontier of auto innovation by meeting tomorrow’s standards today. From fire-resistant battery systems to paint-free exteriors and lightweight structures, MCG is delivering what the new mobility era demands; fill in your details on this page to find out how they can help you.
