Polyester-based automotive nonwoven platform supports lightweighting, acoustic absorption, thermal insulation, recycled-content design, and interior floor system applications

CHARLESTON, S.C. — May 21, 2026 — AJ Nonwovens today announced the launch of a Made-in-USA textile frunk solution for battery electric vehicles. A frunk, or front trunk, is the under-hood storage area created when a BEV platform does not require a traditional internal combustion engine. AJ Nonwovens’ polyester-based automotive nonwoven solution gives OEMs and Tier suppliers a lightweight, sound-absorbing alternative to conventional multi-piece plastic frunk systems.

Developed and manufactured in the United States, the AJ Nonwovens frunk platform is engineered to combine weight reduction, acoustic absorption, thermal insulation, mechanical strength, surface protection, and design flexibility in a single textile-based component. The material can incorporate recycled content and is designed to support OEM sustainability, circularity, and vehicle lightweighting objectives.

“As BEV platforms continue to evolve, automakers need suppliers who can move quickly from concept to production,” said Sam Hyden, Director of Automotive Sales at AJ Nonwovens. “Our Made-in-USA textile frunk solution was developed to meet that need: lightweight, sound-absorbing, sustainable, and ready for rapid customization to OEM program requirements. Just as importantly, it is a flexible automotive nonwoven material platform that can be engineered into multiple areas of the vehicle.”

Traditional frunk designs often rely on multiple rigid plastic parts, which may increase part count, assembly complexity, tooling investment, and vehicle weight. AJ Nonwovens’ polyester-based textile construction enables a lighter, more integrated component that can be adapted to vehicle-specific geometry, styling requirements, durability needs, and performance targets.

The fiber-based structure provides inherent acoustic absorption, helping manage noise in and around the frunk area. This is especially important in BEVs, where reduced powertrain noise can make road noise, accessory noise, airflow, and other secondary sounds more noticeable. The same textile construction also supports thermal insulation, helping reduce rapid temperature change in the storage area and making the frunk a more functional vehicle feature.

AJ Nonwovens’ material technology can also be adapted for additional automotive applications, with interior floor systems representing a key target for the platform. In floor applications, automotive nonwovens can help OEMs address multiple engineering priorities at once, including lightweighting, acoustic management, thermal insulation, surface protection, durability, recycled-content design, and simplified assembly.

Potential interior floor system applications include load floors, cargo floors, trunk floors, under-carpet layers, compartment liners, storage-area surfaces, and molded or semi-structural textile components. The same platform may also be applied to selected interior trim, protective cover, and acoustic package applications where a lightweight, sound-absorbing polyester material can replace more complex multi-material constructions.

AJ Nonwovens’ North American manufacturing footprint gives OEMs and Tier suppliers a domestic source for rapid development, sampling, validation support, and production scale-up. This Made-in-USA supply model helps customers respond quickly to changing program requirements, reduce long-distance supply chain exposure, and accelerate speed to market.

“Our advantage is not only the material technology,” said Hyden. “It is our ability to develop quickly, respond locally, and support customers through a compressed launch cycle. BEV programs are moving fast, and our team is built to move with them.”

The new textile frunk solution and related automotive nonwoven material platform are available for OEM and Tier supplier development programs immediately.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a textile frunk solution?
A textile frunk solution is a fiber-based automotive component used in the front trunk area of a battery electric vehicle. It can provide storage-area structure, acoustic absorption, thermal insulation, surface protection, and lightweighting benefits.

Why use automotive nonwovens in a BEV frunk?
Automotive nonwovens can reduce weight, absorb sound, simplify component construction, support recycled-content targets, and provide design flexibility compared with conventional multi-piece plastic systems.

Where else can this material technology be used?
The same polyester-based automotive nonwoven platform can be adapted for interior floor systems, load floors, cargo floors, trunk floors, under-carpet layers, compartment liners, acoustic packages, and protective covers.

How does Made-in-USA manufacturing support OEM programs?
Domestic manufacturing can improve responsiveness, shorten development cycles, support faster sampling and validation, reduce long-distance supply chain exposure, and help OEMs react faster to changing program needs.