Researchers from the University of Maryland and the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a cathode material containing iron trifluoride (FeF3) that they say could triple the energy density of Li-ion batteries. Their research was published in Nature Communications. “Compared to the large capacity of the commercial graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries, the capacity of the cathodes is… Read more »
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DOE announces $68 million in new advanced vehicle technologies research
The DOE has announced a new funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001919) that will make up to $68.5 million available for early-stage research of advanced vehicle technologies. The agency is seeking research projects in several areas, including: Batteries and Electrification; Materials; and Technology Integration and Energy-efficient Mobility Systems. The Batteries and Electrification topic area, which will receive up… Read more »
VW secures battery supplies to support major EV expansion
Volkswagen says it has lined up 20 billion euros ($25 billion) worth of battery supplies to support a significant increase in EV production over the next few years. The world’s largest automaker will equip 16 factories to produce EVs by the end of 2022, compared with the three it has today. VW says it plans… Read more »
Ionic Materials raises $65 million to develop its solid-state electrolyte
Ionic Materials has secured $65 million in a Series C financing round from investors in the battery manufacturing, consumer electronic and EV fields, who will be working with the company to speed the development of its solid polymer electrolyte battery material. “This funding round will allow us to add to our talented technical staff while… Read more »
Recycling worn cathodes to make new batteries
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 »
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 »


