RICHLAND, WA—Engineers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a new manufacturing process that can convert recycled aluminum into parts for electric vehicles.

DETROIT—As electric vehicles continue to enter the mass market, aluminum demand will grow through the end of the decade, claims a new study conducted by Ducker Carlisle Worldwide LLC.

Lightweighting can improve the strength, stability and performance of electric vehicles. To address the challenge, automakers are exploring new materials that boost operating range, one of the biggest hurdles to widespread EV acceptance.

Lightweight batteries will be one of the next big breakthroughs in EV technology. One possibility that intrigues engineers is structural batteries, which can be built into the structure of a vehicle’s body or chassis to fulfill load-bearing needs while producing power.