Silicon-carbon battery tech supplier Group14 Technologies has raised $400 million in Series C funding, which it plans to use to open its second battery active materials factory in the US. The plant will produce the company’s proprietary SCC55 lithium-silicon battery material for Porsche subsidiary Cellforce Group, which will use it to begin producing battery cells… Read more »
The Tech
Schaeffler aims for sustainable supply chain with rare earth contract
Electric drivetrain technology manufacturer Schaeffler has signed a five-year contract to purchase rare earth metals from REEtec in order to manufacture permanent magnets for the motors in hybrid modules, hybrid transmissions and e-axles. The contract is scheduled to begin in 2024. “In REEtec, Schaeffler has gained a highly innovative partner that uses a novel and… Read more »
Heraeus Electronics introduces cost efficient, highly reliable Ag-free AMB solution for high powered electronics
Sponsored by Heraeus Electronics In recent years, the demand for high powered electronics has grown exponentially. With rapid growth in electric/hybrid vehicles, we are seeing that more electronics and power modules are needed to keep up with demand. However, EV/Hybrid vehicles are not the only applications driving this increased demand. Other major applications, such as… Read more »
Nano One buys North American LFP cell production facility
Battery cathode materials specialist Nano One has announced the acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials (JMBM), a Canadian company that operates one of the few LFP cathode production facilities in North America. Nano One will acquire all of the outstanding shares of JMBM for a total of $10.25 million Canadian ($8 million US). The deal… Read more »
Resin impregnation of electric motors (Whitepaper)
Sponsored by Viscotec Advantages of the endless piston principle for trickling Resin impregnation of rotor and stator is an important process in the production of electric motors. Especially with the electrification of the powertrain in the automotive sector, the demand for durable engines with maximum power density and low noise emissions is increasing. This white… Read more »
Renesas Electronics introduces new design software for EV battery management systems
Semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics has introduced a new complex device driver (CDD) software module for designers of EV battery management systems. The AUTOSAR-compliant CDD software is designed to work with Renesas’s BMS reference design hardware kit, which is composed of the ISL78714 IC and the RH850/P1M MCU. The CDD software also includes software interfaces and… Read more »
Sila’s Washington anode material plant to begin production in 2024
Battery materials maker Sila Nanotechnologies will open an anode material plant in Moses Lake, Washington. The company claims its anode material boosts the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by 20%. The 600,000-square-foot hydro-powered facility will begin producing silicon-based anode material in the second half of 2024, and full production is scheduled for the first half… Read more »
Proterra’s ProDrive to use Eaton’s 4-speed medium-duty transmission
Proterra plans to use an EV transmission made by power management company Eaton’s eMobility business. Eaton’s 4-speed medium-duty transmission will be installed in ProDrive—a Proterra drivetrain used in its ZX5 electric transit buses. The company says the transmission has “electric gearshift actuation that enables manufacturers to use smaller, more efficient motors.” “Our 4-speed transmission provides… Read more »
Nippon Shokubai and Arkema partner to produce ultrapure lithium salt in France
Global chemical supplier Nippon Shokubai and materials science specialist Arkema plan to establish a joint venture to build an industrial plant for the production of LiFSI, aka lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, an ultrapure electrolyte salt. The project is intended to support the development of the European battery value chain. The partners mean to enable the mass production… Read more »
Silicon carbide is becoming the material of choice for EV power electronics
Silicon carbide is a hot topic in the power electronics field these days. As a recent article in the New York Times explains, SiC is a wide-bandgap (WBG) material that designers are increasingly choosing to make power electronics devices more efficient. WBG advantages The WBG classification has profound implications for device behavior and performance. This… Read more »