“You want to be able to package as many batteries as possible for the optimal range, but you also need to make sure that in a minor fender-bender, those batteries don’t get damaged,” said Hall, speaking during Fastmarkets AMM’s Steel Success Strategies conference. 

The annual conference, which is taking place in New York City, got underway Monday, opening with a look at developments in advanced automotive steels. The discussion was moderated by AIST executive director Ron Ashburn.  

Peter LeBlanc, chief marketing officer for ArcelorMittal’s global automotive business, agreed that battery boxes offer a new opportunity for steel. Because battery boxes are a structural component, steel is a natural fit, he said. 

“There’s an opportunity for the industry to step up and have a bigger role in that application,” he said. 

He also said the shift to battery electric vehicles is happening quicker than might seem, as the number of internal combustion engines are forecast to slide from 96% of the market to 74% by 2025. 

“This (shift) is happening right now. Even though it doesn’t seem like it, it is happening," he said.