Increasing sustainability requirements challenge the automotive industry to design not only electric powertrains but also structural vehicle components in a resource-efficient manner. As a central element of battery electric vehicles, traction batteries significantly influence environmental performance through material selection and mass. Regulatory initiatives such as the European Green Deal increasingly mandate higher material recovery rates and recycled content, reinforcing the relevance of circular economy concepts. Design decisions made during product development strongly affect the entire life cycle, from use to recycling. This paper examines the applicability of sustainability-oriented design strategies based on the 9R framework to the structural elements of traction batteries. Using current production vehicles as examples, their implications for future lifecycle scenarios are discussed. Currently Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods cannot evaluate the sustainability of products in early development phases, therefore the paper derives design recommendations for battery box systems to support a more sustainable economic system.