A team of scientists that includes researchers at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Lab and SLAC National Accelerator Lab has identified the causes of degradation in nickel-rich materials for lithium-ion battery cathodes, as well as possible remedies. Researchers at Brookhaven are part of a DOE-sponsored consortium called Battery500, a group that is working to triple the… Read more »
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), a UK-based tech and engineering firm, says it is working on new carbon composites that offer comparable performance to existing options, but at a cost that brings them within reach of mainstream applications. WAE says carbon fiber reinforced polymer’s (CFRP) high strength-to-weight ratio, stiffness, and resistance to fatigue and its environment… Read more »
Epsilor, a developer and manufacturer of mobile energy products for defense and aerospace, showcased the latest version of its 6T NATO-standard Li-ion battery at the recent International Armoured Vehicles show in London. Industrial clients and armed forces in five NATO nations are currently performing field tests on the 6T. The Israeli Defense Forces recently completed… Read more »
Rice University scientists have found that adding a layer of red phosphorus to separators in lithium metal batteries can signal when damaging dendrites threaten to create a short circuit. Rice University chemist James Tour made lithium metal test cells with a coat of red phosphorus on the separator, which keeps the anode and cathode electrodes… Read more »
Motor manufacturer Nidec has announced a prototype for an in-wheel EV traction motor. The company aims to begin mass production of the motor around 2023. The prototype motor fits within the wheel hubs of an EV, a design which Nidec claims allows for higher efficiency and lighter, more compact designs than motors occupying the engine… Read more »
Advanced Linear Devices (ALD), a California manufacturer of analog technology, has created a six-channel supercapacitor automatic balancing (SAB) printed circuit board (PCB). ALD says the board, known as SABMB6, can balance any size supercapacitor with zero added power dissipation. Each PCB can balance up to six supercapacitors stacked in a series, ranging from six to… Read more »
Researchers at Drexel University and Trinity College have found that using silicon fortified with a special type of materials called MXene in Li-ion anodes could improve charge-to-charge life of batteries. The group reports in Nature Communications that the latest Li-ion batteries on the market are likely to extend the charge-to-charge life of phones and EVs… Read more »
In 2018, global deployment of nickel, graphite, copper, LCE, aluminum and cobalt by cell suppliers for passenger vehicles increased by 75% to 99% over the previous year, according to data from Adamas Intelligence’s EV Battery Capacity and Battery Metals Tracker. These growth rates are particularly remarkable considering that global EV registrations increased by just 67% over the… Read more »
Pending regulatory approval, Shell will acquire 100% of sonnen, a German manufacturer of energy storage systems for homes and small business. Shell previously invested in sonnen in May 2018. sonnen manufactures smart energy storage systems and offers energy services via its sonnenCommunity platform. In December 2018, sonnen put into operation a virtual power plant composed… Read more »
Cargo handling company Kalmar has selected engine manufacturer Cummins to provide electric powertrain technology for Kalmar’s latest electrified terminal tractor. The Kalmar Electric Terminal Tractor is slated for launch in 2020 and will serve the European market. It follows the release of the Kalmar Ottawa electric terminal tractor in the US in 2018. Cummins will… Read more »