Kautex Textron Wins Significant BEV Battery Housing Contract with Leading Automotive OEM

Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG (Kautex), a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced it has received an order from a leading automotive OEM for a full-BEV thermoplastic composite lower battery housing unit. The lower housing is part of the company’s Pentatonic battery enclosure portfolio, facilitating battery electric and hybrid electric vehicle production.

The Kautex Pentatonic product line offers lightweight, customizable EV solutions made from thermoplastic composite or composite metal hybrids. These solutions include products which not only enhance the thermal management of the battery pack but also contribute to the overall lightweight design, boosting vehicle performance and extending driving range.

The lower housing seals and protects the vehicle battery while meeting extensive structural and stringent thermal requirements, such as crush and bottom impact testing, and external and internal fire tests. It will be produced for a major BEV platform, spanning across multiple vehicle brands. This Kautex Pentatonic solution offers advantages over its conventional metal counterparts, with lower cost through a reduction in components due to its high functional integration and thus a leaner bill of material. The thermoplastic composite material helps to lower the carbon footprint of the part, while the lightweight housing contributes to reducing carbon emissions while driving. This multi-material approach provides corrosion resistance with no compromise in performance throughout the lifespan of the vehicle.

“We are thrilled to announce our latest order from a leading automotive OEM, marking a significant milestone for Kautex,” says Joerg Rautenstrauch, President & CEO, Kautex. “Our innovative BEV lower housing is a testament to our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that meet the highest standards of safety, performance, and sustainability. This Pentatonic win is a reflection of our team's hard work and creativity, and our unwavering focus on delivering value to our customers.”

This order marks Kautex’s second Pentatonic business win, following its initial success in January 2023 with a full-BEV underbody protection skid plate that entered serial production in 2024. Pentatonic has garnered numerous awards, including the SPE Grand Innovation Award in Europe, as well as the Lingxuan and Gasgoo Innovation Awards in China. Additionally, Kautex has deployed three on-road test vehicles in the US, Japan and Europe, validating the performance of full-BEV and hybrid Pentatonic enclosures across various terrains and weather conditions. Collectively, these vehicles have been road-tested for over 100,000 miles.

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