Fire Safety Collaborative Initiative Unveiled by AZL for Electric Vehicle Battery Casing Testing
AZL Launches Joint Partner Project for Enhanced Fire Safety in EV Battery Casings
AZL Aachen GmbH has announced the launch of a new Joint Partner Project titled "Thermal Runaway Testing for Battery Casings - Benchmarking Systems for High-Gradient Heating and Hot Particle Blasting." The project, set to commence on July 15, 2025, aims to improve fire protection in electromobility by establishing a realistic and reproducible fire testing environment for structural and functional materials used in EV battery housing systems.
With over 10 years of experience managing collaborative industry projects, AZL's team of experts, in collaboration with 24 leading industry players, has developed an application-relevant instrumented test method for testing materials at different flame temperatures and measuring material strength under fire load.
The new test bench, created for this project, mimics the complex conditions of thermal runaway events in modern cell technologies such as LFP and NMC. It combines high-gradient flame exposure and controlled hot particle impact, providing a unique setup for systematic benchmarking of materials under stress conditions that reflect actual applications in automotive and other segments like aerospace.
The project focuses on developing and implementing a testing environment that accurately replicates the thermal and mechanical stresses battery casings undergo during fire incidents. Through tailored test profiles, the thermal resistance and mechanical integrity of over 50 different materials (metals, plastics, fibre reinforced, coated, compact, sandwich) will be compared based on application-specific scenarios.
Participating companies can request detailed project information or arrange an individual consultation meeting. They will have access to the final benchmarking results and can contribute material configurations for testing as part of the project. Detailed test documentation, including videos and thermal data, will be provided.
By participating in this project, companies can pool resources, validate their own fire safety solutions, and gain insight into leading alternatives in the market. The project officially kicks off on July 15, 2025, and is expected to make significant strides in enhancing overall safety in electric vehicles and other mobility sectors like aerospace.
[1] AZL Joint Partner Project on Fire Safety Testing for EV Battery Casings [2] Improving Fire Protection in Electromobility: AZL's New Joint Partner Project
- This joint partner project, initiated by AZL Aachen GmbH, collaborates with 24 leading companies in the automotive, aerospace, and technology industries to finance a research focused on enhancing fire safety in the transportation sector, specifically in electric vehicle battery casings.
- The financial support from diverse industries such as automotive, technology, and transportation, will contribute to the development and implementation of a testing environment that accurately simulates thermal and mechanical stresses undergone by battery casings during fire incidents, ultimately leading to advancements in both the electromobility and aerospace sectors.
