Motorised Flap for the Charging Socket in the AUDI e-tron

Power up with style

Electric mobility is on the rise. For many, it is the mode of transport of the future. AUDI AG offers the e-tron, a fully electric car in the popular SUV category. The engineers have invested many development hours in the details. They were assisted in this by the Weber Group from Dillenburg in Central Hesse, among others. As specialists for sophisticated injection-moulded plastic solutions, they contributed the first self-opening flap for a charging socket.

Here the devil is in the detail because the requirements of AUDI AG were extensive. Compatibility with all globally standardised charging sockets had to be ensured, and mechatronics had to do its job, enabling smooth opening and closing in temperature ranges from -40° C to +80° C, and this for the entire life of the car.

Painting in the color of the car should also be possible without warpage. For this demanding task, various highly reinforced plastics were used, which were processed using a 2-component technique. This solution has proven to be very robust and weight-saving.

Even though not visible in the overall component, the implementation would not have been possible without the combination of stiffness and dimensional stability of the highly reinforced AKROLOY® PA GF 60 black (6418) and the good sliding properties of Hostaform®, supplied by the sister company K.D Feddersen GmbH & Co. KG. Another of the many small details that make the e-tron something special.

Picture source: AUDI AG, own picture material