46 September/October 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering state of charge or health – we train AI to automate this,” explains Fabian Franke of Heimdalytics. Unlike single-point measurements, this approach captures frequency-dependent resistances in just 3 minutes, revealing early stage faults like dendrites or welding defects. The system distinguishes between three critical states: state of health gauged with traditional capacity fade tracking; state of anomalies, which identifies latent issues such as internal shorts before performance degrades; and state of stress, detecting thermal risks faster than temperature sensors can by analysing impedance shifts, Franke says. In final development for both diagnostic labs and embedded BMS applications, the platform will make use of fleet-wide data in the cloud for model retraining. “Future BMSs could update AI models dynamically,” notes Franke, with plans for commercialisation later this year. For recyclers and second-life markets, the technology promises transparent battery passports – quantifying degradation mechanisms beyond simple capacity metrics. Novac is pioneering the integration of supercapacitors into structural components, such as carbon fibre panels on cars, to address power density and space constraints in e-mobility applications. By embedding pouchformat supercapacitors within the frame, Novac eliminates the need for bulky external packs, repurposing the structure itself as an energy storage device. The pouch format was chosen because it can be shaped to conform to the contours of composite panels. “We exploit the structure of the car to embed a supercap that supports lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries, ideal for handling peak power loads, and essential to reduce the battery pack degradation,” explains Novac’s Mattia Colalongo. This approach is particularly beneficial for high-power applications such as Formula One, where rapid energy discharge is critical, and for aerospace, where weight savings are paramount. One potential aerospace application is in electric urban air transport vehicles, which need powertrains with high density in terms of both energy and power, which must be carefully balanced. The supercapacitors use activated carbon with proprietary additives to enhance kinetics, enabling faster energy delivery. Novac is also developing hybrid supercapacitors, blending battery materials to improve energy density – although this involves a trade-off with power density. Cycle life exceeds 500,000 cycles, with aims to reach one million, driven by stringent control of impurities during manufacturing. Aldo Girimonte of Novac highlights advancements in Gen 2 electrolytes. “Hybrid polymer-inorganic electrolytes can increase voltage stability, boosting energy density,” he says. “A few months ago, we were entirely focused on r&d, but now we are standing up a pre-pilot and pilot line to scale up production.” Henkel is addressing one of the critical challenges in modern battery design with its innovative ‘debonding on demand’ adhesive technology. As battery architectures evolve toward cell-to-body and structural designs, the need for repairable and recyclable solutions has become paramount. The company’s breakthrough adhesive maintains thermal conductivity properties while introducing a game-changing capability: electrical debonding. Unlike traditional thermal debonding methods that risk damaging sensitive battery components, Henkel’s solution uses an electrical current to release bonded surfaces in seconds. During a live demonstration, aluminium surfaces bonded with the adhesive separated cleanly when electrodes were applied, leaving minimal residue that could be easily removed for immediate rebonding. The technology serves multiple critical Hutchinson’s new integrated refrigerant module is designed to use R290 (propane), saving on the quantity of fluid, reducing weight and saving space over alternatives including R1234yf and CO2 (Image courtesy of the author)
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