Emissions Analytics, a leading independent specialist for the scientific measurement of real-world emissions, suggests that mass adoption of hybrid vehicles, rather than low-volume take-up of full BEVs, is the most effective solution to cutting CO2 now and also in meeting 2030 emission targets. Of all electrification strategies, full BEVs currently... Read more →

OXIS Energy will establish the first manufacturing plant for the production of electrolyte and cathode active material specifically for the mass production of lithium sulfur cells. The plant will be built at the Kenfig Industrial Estate Port Talbot in Wales. OXIS has signed a 15-year lease with United UK Real... Read more →

LG Chem Ltd. will establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery joint venture (JV) in China with Geely Automobile. Under the terms of a new joint venture agreement, LG Chem and Geely Automobile will establish a 50:50 venture. LG Chem and Geely will each invest US$87 million. The factory site and... Read more →

Natron Energy, a developer of new battery cell technology based on Prussian Blue analogue electrodes and a sodium-ion electrolyte, has (earlier post), has been awarded a $3-million grant by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for “Advanced Energy Storage for Electric Vehicle Charging Support.” Natron will utilize the funds to manufacture... Read more →

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Mellon College of Science and College of Engineering have developed a semiliquid lithium metal-based anode (SLMA) that represents a new paradigm in battery design for solid electrolyte batteries. The interdisciplinary research team published their findings in the current issue of Joule. Solid electrolytes are considered... Read more →

The UK government announced £23 million (US$29 million) in third-round funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge to projects to support the development of the latest electrified vehicle technology. The £23-million investment is part of the total £274 million (US$349 million) that will be awarded to consortia across the UK through... Read more →

Volkswagen AG is investing some €900 million (US$1.019 billion) in joint battery activities with Northvolt AB. Part of the sum is intended for a joint venture with the Swedish battery cell producer, a further share will go directly to Northvolt AB. Part of the sum is an element of Northvolt’s... Read more →

Because of their high energy-storage density, materials such as metal oxides, sulfides, and fluorides are promising electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and other technologies. However, their capacity fades very rapidly. Now, researchers studying an electrode made of an inexpensive and nontoxic iron-oxide material called magnetite have proposed... Read more →

Researches at Hanyang University in Seoul, S. Korea, have developed a Li-metal battery (LMB) (specifically, a Li/NCM battery) designed with EV operating requirements in mind that they say outperforms LMBs reported in the literature to date. The new LMB is capable of fast charging while delivering a high energy density.... Read more →

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden have developed a new battery cell production process that coats the electrodes of the energy storage cells with a dry film instead of liquid chemicals. This simplified process saves energy and eliminates toxic solvents. A paper on... Read more →

HELLA, the lighting and electronics expert, develops and manufactures products that support all stages of automotive electrification. With its new Dual Voltage Battery Management System and PowerPack 48 Volt products, the company is now one of the first on the market to offer innovative battery module solutions for mild-hybrid vehicles.... Read more →

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed a new, sulfur-based organic cathode material for lithium batteries. The material is more energy-dense, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly than traditional cathode materials in lithium batteries. The research is published in Advanced Energy Materials. The researchers chose an... Read more →

Kiel-Toshiba Railway Europe GmbH (TRG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solution (TISS), Toshiba Group’s core group in the infrastructure business, will showcase Toshiba’s modular diesel electric hybrid locomotives at Transport Logistic 2019 this week. Furthermore, TRG will showcase its Toshiba HDB 800 locomotive demonstrator in pantograph... Read more →

Raising the penetration of renewable —an intermittent—sources of energy into the grid will require large scale electrical energy storage and retrieval. However, at present, no existing technology provides such storage and retrieval at a low financial and environmental cost. A team at Cornell University is now suggesting that engineered electroactive... Read more →

American Battery Solutions, Inc. (ABS) emerged from stealth-mode with engineering, testing and manufacturing services enabled by an agreement to acquire of high-voltage manufacturing and testing assets from Robert Bosch Battery Systems. The terms of the sale will not be disclosed. Under the proposed agreement with Robert Bosch Battery Systems, ABS... Read more →

Panasonic will partner with Tropos Motors to advance hyper-efficient electric compact utility vehicles—the second largest class of fleet vehicles. ABLE XR Low-speed electric compact utility vehicles (eCUV) offers benefits to the fleet owner including lower cost of purchase with a reduced cost of operation and maintenance, which equates to a... Read more →

Researchers at Beihang University in Beijing have developed a linear molecule sulfur-rich organic material as sulfur cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery. The tetramethylthiuram disulfide-sulfur (TMTD-S) cathode material delivers an initial capacity of 685 mAh g−1 at 0.2C (1 C = 1061 mAh g−1) and maintains the capacity at 540 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. Furthermore, when... Read more →

Honda is conducting research with Ohio-based electric utility American Electric Power to develop a network of used electric vehicle (EV) batteries that could be integrated into AEP’s electricity system. The project seeks to address multiple challenges related to the expansion of EVs, including the repurposing of used EV batteries, the... Read more →

Volvo Car Group has signed long-term agreements with leading battery makers CATL and LG Chem to ensure the multi-billion dollar supply of lithium-ion batteries over the coming decade for next generation Volvo and Polestar models. The agreements cover the global supply of battery modules for all models on the upcoming... Read more →

Layered lithium transition metal oxide cathodes feature a relatively high capacity, making them of importance for Li-ion batteries. However, they also suffer from crystal and interfacial structural instability under aggressive electrochemical and thermal driving forces; this leads to rapid performance degradation and severe safety concerns. Now, researchers at the US... Read more →

In collaboration with SGL Carbon, Chinese automotive manufacturer NIO has developed prototypes for battery enclosures made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for its NIO high performance electric vehicles. The battery enclosure is extremely lightweight, stable and safe. The entire battery enclosure, including the batteries, can be changed at swapping stations... Read more →

As part of its electrification offensive the Volkswagen Group will move forward with setting up a battery cell production facility in Europe under a partnership. To that end, the Supervisory Board approved investments of just under one billion euros. Volkswagen plans to locate the battery cell production facility in Lower... Read more →

Volkswagen plans to build one million electric vehicles a year by 2025; given this target, handling battery recycling internally is a priority for cost and environmental reasons. In the long term, Volkswagen wants to recycle about 97% of all raw materials in end-of-life EV battery packs. Today, the level is... Read more →

A team of researchers led by a group from the University of Maryland has developed a halogen conversion–intercalation chemistry in graphite that produces composite electrodes with a capacity of 243 mAh g-1 (for the total weight of the electrode) at an average potential of 4.2 volts versus Li/Li+. Combining this... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award $89 million to support innovative, advanced manufacturing research and development projects. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001980) addresses priorities such as domestic manufacturing for energy storage. The US manufacturing sector is growing; US manufacturers have created almost 500,000 jobs since 2017 and more... Read more →

BorgWarner is forming a joint venture with Romeo Power Technology, a technology-leading battery module and pack supplier. This new joint venture will be split 60/40 with BorgWarner holding the larger share. This joint venture will not only complement our strong existing propulsion portfolio, but we expect it to fill a... Read more →

Germany-based Voltabox AG, a provider of lithium-ion battery systems primarily used in buses for public transportation, forklifts, automated guided vehicles and mining vehicles, is expanding its customer base. The company has recently accelerated pilot projects in the automotive sector, some of which will be transferred to series production in the... Read more →

In March 2019, 9.76 GWh of passenger EV battery capacity was deployed globally, an increase of 94% year-over-year according to Adamas Intelligence’s “EV Battery Capacity Monthly”. Adamas said that this increase in battery capacity deployed is especially remarkable when considering that global EV sales increased by a mere 25% over... Read more →

A team led by researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany is proposing a new class of high entropy materials for energy storage applications. In a paper in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science, they report on multi-anionic and -cationic compounds prepared by facile mechanochemistry using... Read more →

The global battery energy storage market will to grow to $13.13 billion by 2023, according to a new forecast by GlobalData. Asia-Pacific (APAC) and EMEA will be the dominant markets for battery energy storage systems over the forecast period 2019-2023. The company’s latest report “Battery Energy Storage Market, Update 2019... Read more →

Clarios, formerly Johnson Controls Power Solutions, launches as a new entity and world leader in advanced energy storage solutions. Clarios was acquired by Brookfield Business Partners and operates as a global energy storage business generating $8 billion in revenues with more than 16,000 employees, 56 facilities worldwide and 130 years... Read more →

Agility Fuel Solutions, a leading global provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, introduced high-performance battery packs and complete electric vehicle drivetrain integrations for medium-and heavy-duty trucks. Agility’s battery packs are being delivered to multiple truck OEM electric vehicle programs. These lightweight, liquid-cooled lithium ion (NMC)... Read more →

Novelis Inc. has developed the first aluminum sheet battery enclosure solution to address customers’ needs in the rapidly growing electric vehicle and battery markets. Available globally, this design for next-generation automobiles provides a more sustainable mobility solution in battery electric vehicles, a market that is expected to more than triple... Read more →

The wholly-owned US manufacturing subsidiary of LG Chem, Ltd. filed a pair of lawsuits against South Korean-owned SK Innovation., Ltd. for misappropriation of Li-ion battery trade secrets, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage and other claims. Brought jointly by LGCMI, the US-subsidiary, and its parent corporation, the suits were filed... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, with colleagues at Beijing Institute of Technology, have demonstrated the potential of rechargeable tellurium (Te) nanowire positive electrodes to construct ultrahigh-capacity rechargeable tellurium-aluminum batteries (TABs). In an open-access paper in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science, they report that the... Read more →

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a free-standing reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) aerogel for use as a supporting electrode for the electrochemical redox reaction of sulfur in a catholyte-based lithium-sulfur battery. A mesoporous matrix is formed by a layers of r-GO, providing sites for electrochemical reactions and... Read more →

Among the new power architectures that hold a great deal of promise are hybrid energy storage modules that integrate energy dense batteries with power dense ultracapacitors (UCs) into a single power supply that augments traditional generation technologies. Within such an architecture, the UC is the element that may be utilized... Read more →

Batteries with metallic lithium anodes offer enhanced efficiency compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries because of their higher capacity. However, safety concerns and a short lifespan are barriers to commercialization. To analyze better the causes of malfunctions and premature failure of such batteries, researchers have developed a technique using a fluorescent... Read more →

Shifting cathode chemistries and strong BEV/PHEV sales relative to HEV sales driving accelerated deployment of lithium In February 2019, 76% more lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) was deployed globally in batteries of newly-sold passenger EVs than the same month the year prior, according to a model-by-model build-up using Adamas Intelligence’s “EV... Read more →

A Columbia Engineering team led by Yuan Yang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, has developed a new method for safely prolonging battery life by inserting a nano-coating of boron nitride (BN) to stabilize solid electrolytes in lithium metal batteries. Their findings are outlined in a new study published... Read more →

A combined $210 million was raised by battery storage, smart grid, and energy efficiency companies in Q1 2019—a 55.5% decrease from the $472 million raised in Q1 2018, according to a new report from Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm. Total corporate funding (including... Read more →

Solid-state sodium-ion batteries are safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which pose a risk of fire and explosions, but their performance has been too weak to offset the safety advantages. Researchers at the University of Houston have now developed an organic cathode that improves both stability and energy density. The improved... Read more →

Supported by a new five-year, $500,000-grant from the National Science Foundation, a researcher from the University of Kansas is developing machine learning technology to monitor and prevent overheating in lithium-ion batteries. The research will develop a foundational framework for characterizing and monitoring LiB packs’ spatially and temporally distributed thermal behavior,... Read more →

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have improved their recycling process that regenerates degraded cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries. The new process is safer and uses less energy than their previous method (earlier post) in restoring cathodes to their original capacity and cycle performance. Zheng Chen, a professor... Read more →

Proterra is partnering with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to create a $200-million credit facility in support of a battery lease program. Mitsui, a leading Japanese investment and trading company, holds a diversified portfolio of businesses in various sectors, including mobility, infrastructure and renewable energy. The battery leasing credit facility, the... Read more →

Daimler AG has acquired a minority equity stake in US battery material specialist Sila Nanotechnologies Inc. (Sila Nano) (earlier post) as part of Daimler’s research and development activities in support of electromobility. Founded in 2011, Sila Nano is a developer of new battery materials which outperform existing lithium-ion technologies. Along... Read more →

During the Battery Show 2019 in Stuttgart, Henkel will launch new technologies that enable cost-efficient large-scale assembly and lifetime protection of battery architectures. As all major automotive OEMs and new players are rapidly launching new electric vehicle (EV) models, Henkel is leveraging its broad technology base and many years of... Read more →

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Solid Power (earlier post) to develop all solid-state batteries (ASSB) for next-generation electric vehicles. The announced partnership will focus on further developing ASSBs toward automotive requirements. Solid Power’s solid-state technology combines a cathode, metallic lithium anode, and a safe, inorganic solid electrolyte layer.... Read more →

The public transport company ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH from Wiesbaden in Germany’s Hesse region has ordered 56 Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro electric urban buses. With this commission, the city of Wiesbaden is switching a fifth of its bus fleet to electromobility within a short period of time. As a provider of comprehensive electromobility... Read more →

Western Australia will host a national consortium to position Australia as a global leader in the manufacture and supply of batteries after a A$135-million (US$96.4-million) industry-backed research hub was supported by the Federal Government. Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon Karen Andrews, announced that the Curtin University-led... Read more →