Qingdao, Shandong, China – August 19, 2026 – If you open the chassis of a pure electric vehicle, you will see that the battery tray is made of aluminum, the anti-collision beam is made of aluminum, the floor beam is made of aluminum, the motor housing is also made of aluminum, and even the frame and seat crossbeam are gradually “becoming aluminum”. This wave of light weighting is driven by the process of – Aluminum Extrusion.
Many people have heard of integrated die-casting, but are unfamiliar with Extruded Aluminum. You can imagine it as a huge “metal toothpaste machine”. As the name suggests, the heated aluminum rods are extruded from specially designed molds. The shape of the finished product depends on the shape of the mold.
So, how much aluminum does an electric vehicle “extrude”? And why has the Extruded Aluminum Process become a must-have for light weighting in new energy vehicles?
1. Let’s start with the total amount: Electric vehicles use nearly double the amount of Extruded Aluminum compared to fuel vehicles.
The amount of extruded Aluminum Used per vehicle for traditional fuel vehicles is generally only 14-16 kg, and it is mostly used in the impact beams and a few brackets; while in pure electric vehicles, this figure has significantly increased. The average amount of extruded Aluminum Used in mainstream household electric vehicles is approximately 28-40 kg, and some all-aluminum-structured models may even be higher.
Looking at the total aluminum usage in the entire vehicle, the difference is also obvious: the aluminum usage for fuel vehicles is only about 120-150 kg. But for a pure electric vehicle? The average aluminum usage has reached 240 kg, and high-end models even go as high as 300 kg.
The additional 100-plus kilograms of aluminum, the vast majority of which is not cast or stamped, but “pressed” out. The market data is more intuitive: In 2024, the total aluminum consumption in the domestic new energy vehicle sector is approximately 3.2 million tons. In 2025, it will reach 4.36 million tons, and in 2026, it is expected to soar to 5.33 million tons. Among them, extruded aluminum profiles account for 15% of the automotive aluminum market share, and the corresponding market size has reached 51.8 billion yuan.
2. Five core components: “Extruded aluminum” is everywhere in these components
Where exactly are the extruded aluminum profiles installed in the electric vehicle? Let’s walk from the front to the rear of the vehicle and count them one by one.
1. Impact Beam: The first line of defense for safety
The impact beam is the first line of defense at the front and rear of the vehicle. It takes the brunt of the impact. The steel impact beam requires sufficient energy absorption, so it has to be made very heavy. While the aluminum impact beam is extruded, it can be directly shaped into complex cross-sections, allowing it to deform through controlled folds during the impact to absorb energy. It is strong enough and much lighter in weight compared to steel.
2. Battery Tray: The single largest extruded component
The battery tray is the large base that holds the battery cells and is also the single largest component. It can be regarded as half of the vehicle’s lifeblood. The current mainstream manufacturing method is to weld 6061, 6005A and other 6-series aluminum materials into a single piece, weighing approximately 60 kilograms. Compared to a steel tray of the same specification, it reduces weight by 20%-40%; and in the battery pack system, just the tray alone accounts for 20%-30% of the total weight.
Don’t underestimate this 40-60 kilogram difference. According to industry general estimates, every 100 kg reduction in the vehicle’s weight can increase the range by 5%-10%. Therefore, its weight reduction will directly affect the entire vehicle, reduce power consumption, and improve range.
2. Motor Housing: Enhancing Heat Dissipation and Lightweighting Together
The motor operates at high speeds and generates heat. The heat dissipation capacity directly determines the upper limit of output power. Therefore, the motor housing not only needs to be lightweight but also capable of dissipating heat. The aluminum’s heat conductivity is four times that of steel, making it much faster at dissipating heat and naturally an excellent material for motor housings. The motor housing made by extrusion aluminum not only has a light weight, good strength, and good heat dissipation, but also is corrosion-resistant. Through the extrusion process, axial cooling water channels can be directly extruded into the housing wall, and then machined into return channels to make the cooling fluid closely adhere to the stator outer wall and enhance the cooling effect significantly.
In addition, the threshold beam and the auxiliary frame are also quietly “aluminizing”. The threshold beam mainly protects against side impacts and some models use high-strength steel； while the extruded aluminum threshold beam reduces the weight by 20%-30%. Its internal design is a multi-chamber structure， allowing it to absorb energy layer by layer during the impact.
The auxiliary frame and various chassis connection brackets are also key application areas for extruded aluminum profiles. 6082 and other high-strength extruded aluminum alloys also balance stiffness and fatigue performance. Many car models that focus on handling and light weighting already use extruded aluminum for the front auxiliary frame.
3.The status of extruded aluminum in the automotive lightweighting production parts
Many people may ask： Will integrated die-casting replace the aluminum extrusion process?
The answer is： No.
The integrated die-casting process is good at large-sized， complex curved surfaces， and integrated parts， such as the battery pack lower shell. The advantage is reducing the number of parts and improving efficiency； but the disadvantage is high cost， and the heat treatment of large components is difficult， and the maintenance cost is high.
The aluminum extrusion process is better at straight and uniform-section beams and frames， such as the threshold beam and impact beam. The advantage is lower cost， mature process， and adjustable strength， suitable for large-scale， standardized structural components. Therefore， the two processes jointly support the all-aluminum light weighting of electric vehicles.
From the overall structure of automotive aluminum， currently， die-cast aluminum still accounts for 77%， and extruded aluminum accounts for about 10%； but in the new energy sector， the proportion of extruded aluminum profiles has increased to 20%， growing at an extremely fast rate.
Although extruded aluminum profiles in the new energy sector only account for 20%， they shoulder the “framework” responsibility. Impact beams， threshold beams， battery trays， auxiliary frames， motor housings… almost everything from the front to the rear is supported by extruded aluminum.
Why are these tasks not left to “extrusion” alone？ Because the aluminum extrusion process can produce profiles with complex cross-sections, varying wall thicknesses, and internal cavities – battery trays require many cavities, anti-collision beams need energy-absorbing cavities, and motor housings need cooling channels. Pressing cannot handle complex cross-sections, and casting cannot meet high strength and precision requirements. Therefore, extruded aluminum profiles can firmly hold the “central position” in automotive chassis and safety components.
4. How large is the aluminum extrusion market?
The domestic aluminum extrusion market is currently in a stage of rapid expansion. Its scale and demand are continuously rising under the impetus of the trend of light weighting in new energy vehicles.
With the popularization of automotive lightweight design and the development of the new energy vehicle industry, the domestic market for aluminum extrusion used in automobiles is showing a rapid growth trend. In 2024, the market size of aluminum extrusion for automobiles in China is approximately 132.589 billion yuan; in the first half of 2025, the market size is approximately 75.205 billion yuan.
In summary, the domestic aluminum extrusion market is driven by policies such as “replacing steel with aluminum” and the light weighting of new energy vehicles, and has long-term and stable development advantages. With the continuous emergence of technologies such as integrated extrusion and wide-width thin-walled profiles, aluminum extrusion will penetrate more load-bearing components in electric vehicles.
Many consumers only focus on range, large screens, acceleration figures, but rarely pay attention to the unremarkable aluminum profiles in the chassis. However, it is precisely these continuous advancements in material processes that are gradually pushing electric vehicles to be lighter, safer, and able to travel further. In the future, how much extruded aluminum profiles will be used in an electric vehicle? The future will only be more, not less.
About Us
Qingdao Kangjian Aluminum Industry Technology Co., Ltd. is located in Jimo District, Qingdao City. The company was officially registered and established in 2022. The enterprise mainly produces and processes aluminum and aluminum alloy products. Aluminum alloy industrial profiles, rail transit profiles, aerospace, automotive and Marine profiles, architectural profiles, curtain wall profiles.
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