As lithium-ion batteries proliferate, the question of what to do with them when they wear out is becoming a major environmental concern. Less than five percent of used batteries are recycled today. Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed an energy-efficient recycling process that restores used cathodes from spent batteries and makes… Read more »
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New study: EVs emit less greenhouse gases than diesels, even in coal-heavy regions
The myth of the “long tailpipe” – the idea that, because EVs are partially powered by dirty coal, they are no cleaner than legacy vehicles – just won’t go away. In 2012, a detailed study from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that even if it were charged 100% from coal, an EV would still… Read more »
Korean battery-makers to introduce NCM 811 cells
There’s a new battery cell in town, and everybody’s talking about its better energy density and lower costs. South Korean cell maker SK Innovation recently announced that its new NCM 811 cells would be available in December for stationary storage systems, and in the third quarter of 2018 for EVs. SK’s current cells use an… Read more »
A closer look at rare earth permanent magnets
Rare earth magnets have gotten a lot of coverage in the EV press over the years for being expensive – especially back in 2011 when a supply disruption in China sent the prices up anywhere from fivefold for neodymium to 20-fold for dysprosium over the course of a few months – yet they are still… Read more »
Solving the energy density challenge with single wall carbon nanotubes
Sponsored by OCSiAl Group Li-ion batteries represent the most dynamic and fastest growing battery market, with total sales of $10 billion in 2015 [i]. Historically, the primary challenge for battery manufacturers has been the constant demand for greater energy density, both volumetric and gravimetric. Li-ion’s dramatic rise is in large part due to solving this challenge more… Read more »
Teardown of Chevy Bolt points to massive disruption ahead
It’s not unheard-of for financial analysts to tear down a vehicle to get an accurate estimate of what it costs to produce. Back in 2015, a consulting firm took apart and reverse-engineered a BMW i3. More recently, a team from UBS disassembled a Chevy Bolt and published a cost analysis of the new EV. However,… Read more »
Umicore invests €300 million to boost capacity in cathode materials
Materials technology specialist Umicore plans to invest €300 million ($328 million) between 2017 and 2019 to further increase its production of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode materials. NMC is one of the most popular cathode materials for EV batteries, and global demand is increasing fast. The increased capacity will enable Umicore to respond to a surge in… Read more »
Carpenter Technology develops a new soft magnetic alloy with key benefits for EV motors
Electrical steels are soft magnetic materials found at the heart of electric motors. They’re typically manufactured in cold-rolled strips, cut into shapes to make laminations and then stacked together to form the stator and rotor of a motor. These specialty steels are tailored to produce certain magnetic properties, and have a magnetic flux density (key… Read more »
ECO COMBAT project aims to develop better and more sustainable batteries
Ten European industry and research organizations are partnering in the EU-funded project ECO COMBAT (Ecological Composites for High-Efficient Li-Ion Batteries), which aims to develop next-generation Li-ion batteries. Better performance is not the only goal for the new battery. The project also aims to develop a battery that’s more sustainable, by reducing the need for expensive… Read more »
FDK and Fujitsu develop novel cathode material for solid-state batteries
FDK and Fujitsu Laboratories have jointly developed lithium cobalt pyrophosphate (Li2CoP2O7) as a cathode material for solid-state lithium-ion batteries. The new material can operate at charge/discharge voltages of more than 5 V, which is beyond the limits of current lithium batteries. The energy of a battery is a function of its voltage and capacity, so an… Read more »