BMW and Samsung SDI plan to expand their supply relationship for EV battery cells. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that includes an increase in quantities delivered as well as further technological development of battery cells. BMW produces high-voltage batteries for the i3, i8 and other future hybrid vehicles at its plant… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "cobalt"
Wildcat’s new copper fluoride cathode material offers 2.5x more capacity than today’s battery tech
The current generation of lithium-ion battery materials is quickly approaching its theoretical limit. In commercial layered oxide cathodes, like the popular nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC), there is only one lithium ion for every metal. So, the most energy you could possibly store with those materials is one full lithium in and out, or about 300 mAh per… Read more »
VW: e-Golf battery pack doesn’t need a liquid cooling system
Does an EV battery pack need a liquid cooling system? Automakers have different opinions. The Tesla Roadster and Model S have ‘em, the Nissan LEAF does not. Volkswagen initially designed its e-Golf with a liquid-cooled battery, but the production e-Golf, which is now on sale in Germany, and will arrive in selected US markets during… Read more »
Scientists discover the secret of aging (of lithium-ion batteries)
Aging is an inescapable fact of life, not only for people, but for batteries as well. Researchers at the Helmholtz Center Berlin (HZB) recently identified a major reason why Li-ion batteries degrade with time. They have directly observed atomic rearrangements occurring in cathode materials during charge and discharge processes, which lead to the breakdown of the… Read more »
Kia Soul EV to use new SK Innovation battery cells
Kia’s new Soul EV will use lithium-ion polymer battery cells supplied by SK Innovation, the result of a three-year joint development program between the two companies. The SK pack has 192 cells in eight modules, for a total capacity of 27 kWh. It boasts an impressive energy density of 200 Wh/kg, and is expected to… Read more »
Kia unveils new Soul EV, to go on sale this year
Kia unveiled its 2015 Soul EV at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2014, the compact hatchback will be Kia’s first EV sold in the US, initially in just a few states, including California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Pricing will be announced closer… Read more »
Dow sells battery-making division Dow Kokam
Industrial giant Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) has sold its interest in battery manufacturer Dow Kokam to MBP Investors LLC, an affiliate of Townsend Ventures. Dow Kokam makes large-format nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion cells and systems for the fleet transportation, stationary storage and industrial markets. The company’s Midland Battery Park in Michigan includes one of… Read more »
BASF expands battery R&D facility
BASF has announced that it will invest $25 million to renovate and expand its R&D facility in Beachwood, Ohio. In addition to the existing catalyst and battery materials research, the facility is being renovated to make space for a new cathode materials research team. Construction is underway and completion is expected in early 2014. The… Read more »
Batteries2020 seeks to increase lifespan and energy density of Li-ion batteries
An 8.4-million-euro ($11-million) European research project called Batteries2020 aims to increase the lifespan and energy density of large-format automotive Li-ion batteries. The project is scheduled to run through September 2016, by which time the group’s goal is to have a commercialization-ready product that achieves a 4,000-cycle lifetime at 80% depth of discharge, and an energy… Read more »
3M licenses NMC cathode technology to Chinese firm Reshine
3M has agreed to license several of its patents for nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) cathode technology to China-based Hunan Reshine New Material Company. 3M’s NMC cathode technology uses proprietary layered mixed metal oxide formulations of nickel, manganese and cobalt. By changing the composition and morphology, the balance of power, energy, and safety characteristics can… Read more »