Battery

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Sion powers ahead with its Licerion battery tech

In the seemingly eternal quest for greater energy density in batteries, one of the most promising lines of development is the lithium metal battery, in which the conventional graphite anode is replaced by a pure lithium metal foil. This is the approach that Sion Power is taking with its Licerion battery technology, as CEO Tracy Kelley explains to Peter Donaldson, bringing us up to speed with the company’s progress.

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Resting boosts lithium-metal battery cells

Researchers have found a key way to extend the life of next-generation lithium-metal batteries, writes Nick Flaherty. Lithium metal cells can double the range of EVs on a single charge and this is a crucial technology for solid-state cells. The researchers at Stanford University found a low-cost approach, which was to simply drain the battery and let it rest for several hours. This restored battery capacity and boosted overall performance.

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Audi’s more powerful & smarter HV battery

The completely newly developed high-voltage battery (HV battery) is largely responsible for the longest electric range in the current Audi portfolio. With an impressive range of 625 kilometers (388 mi), the Audi Q6 e-tron1 is highly suitable for everyday use, making it one of the models with the longest range in its segment.

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Cell-to-pack architecture for fast charging

StoreDot has developed a cell-to-pack architecture for its silicon-based fast-charging batteries, writes Nick Flaherty. The I-BEAM XFC is a patented cell design that accelerates the integration of extreme fast charging (XFC) into EVs using StoreDot’s proprietary 100in5 electrode technology. The silicon anodes enable charging for 100 miles of range in just five minutes.

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Polymer safety boost for lithium battery cells

Researchers in Korea have developed a polymer separator to boost the safety of lithium-ion battery cells, writes Nick Flaherty. Separators composed of polyolefins, a type of polymer, can be employed to keep the anode and cathode apart to prevent an internal short circuit. However, these separators can melt at higher temperatures, and the inadequate absorption of electrolytes can result in short circuits and diminished efficiency.

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Bipolar batteries

When Toyota unveiled plans for its next generation of EV technology in June 2023, the company made it clear that bipolar batteries would play a central role. The company is already using bipolar architecture in the nickel-metal hydride batteries in its Crown

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ENNOVI unveils flexible prismatic battery system

ENNOVI has launched the CellConnect-Prism, a prismatic battery cell contacting system that aims to redefine the connectivity and efficiency of battery modules. The product gives engineers flexibility by enabling the seamless integration of individual prismatic cells to create larger battery modules, or advanced cell-to-pack (CTP)

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Tackling battery welding challenges with new beam-shaping techniques

A new beam-shaping welding technology has been developed by Cailabs with the aim of significantly improving accuracy and efficiency in the construction of electric mobility parts. This is key to the construction of the battery assembly and is often important for other parts of the vehicle, such as motor hairpins or battery cases.

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Combining machine learning and electrochemical models

Eatron Technologies and About:Energy are developing a decision-engine for battery management systems (BMS) that combines machine learning and electrochemical models, writes Nick Flaherty. The aiMAGINE project aims to use machine learning frameworks in the BMS to extend the life of a battery pack in electric vehicles and scooters.

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ChatGPT for battery chemicals

A team of researchers led by the University of Michigan in the US is developing a generative AI model to produce new molecules for batteries, writes Nick Flaherty. The machine learning framework will be developed using 200,000 node hours on the Polaris, a 34-petaflop supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory.