Kautex Textron (Bonn, Germany) supplies polymer and thermoplastic composite automotive components. Its Pentatonic battery housings reduce mass, improve thermal management and safety, and support recyclable EV pack architectures for global OEMs.
Kautex Textron, founded in 1935 by Reinold Hagen and headquartered in Bonn, Germany, is a global Tier 1 supplier specializing in polymer processing for the automotive sector. The company designs and manufactures plastic fuel systems, thermoplastic composite battery housings, clear vision systems for camera and sensor cleaning, metal castings, and industrial packaging. Kautex positions its work around lightweight, durable components and sustainable manufacturing practices to support OEMs in internal combustion and electrified vehicle programs. Its stated aim is to provide high-performance, environmentally conscious mobility components and system-level solutions.
Kautex’s core technology centers on thermoplastic composite and composite-metal hybrid battery housings (Pentatonic portfolio) and advanced blow-molding for polymer components. Pentatonic housings offer significant mass reduction versus metal, integrated thermal management (including two-phase immersion cooling in select designs), high crush and corrosion resistance, and soft-venting fire safety features. Designs avoid potting materials to improve recyclability and enable modular cell-to-pack (CTP) integration for formats like 4695 cylindrical cells. Manufacturing uses fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and continuous-fiber compression molding; diagnostics include EIS sensors and model-based thermal control to support safety and performance.
Kautex supplies battery enclosures and system components, plastic fuel systems and SCR tanks, camera and sensor Clear Vision Systems, metal castings (via CWC Textron), and industrial plastic packaging. Products emphasize lightweight design, integrated thermal management, corrosion resistance, and recyclability for applications in BEVs, HEVs, PHEVs, autonomous platform sensor suites, and industrial packaging markets.
RESiLiTE (started July 2025) is a €6.2 million, 36-month Horizon Europe project coordinated by Kautex with nine partners, including OEMs such as Togg, to develop silicon-rich, lightweight battery packs using 4695 cylindrical cells and recycled fiber-reinforced thermoplastic housings; targets include ~19% energy-density gains and >4.5C rates. In July 2025 Kautex received a commercial order for Pentatonic thermoplastic lower battery housings from a major OEM, building on prior validation including >100,000 miles of road testing and two-phase immersion cooling demonstrations.
Kautex Textron is a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., operating within Textron’s industrial segment. Ownership is held by Textron’s public shareholders, mainly institutional investors, with corporate liquidity and global network supporting Kautex’s R&D and manufacturing investments. Kautex does not have separate external venture funding.
