Battery testing equipment manufacturer Bitrode Corporation has been acquired by metalforming firm the Schuler Group. Schuler says the purchase of the St Louis company and its Italian parent company Sovema Group will provide the capabilities needed to equip gigafactories for the mass production of lithium-ion batteries. Schuler offers customer-specific technology in all areas of metalforming—its… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "lithium metal"
The promise of wireless charging: smaller batteries, longer battery life, fewer charging stations
Q&A with Momentum Dynamics Wireless charging is nothing new—Charged has covered wireless EV charging since at least 2011—but it may be that its true value is only coming into focus now, as more and more commercial and transit fleets are electrifying. There are many reasons (safety, reliability, liability) that a fleet operator might not want… Read more »
The EV raw materials crunch: How bad, how long, how to solve it?
This article originally appeared in Issue 60: April-June 2022 Subscribe now Every new technology must overcome a series of temporary constraints on its way to widespread adoption. Since modern EVs appeared a decade ago, they’ve motored past many of these bottlenecks, (or hurdles, or roadblocks—pick your preferred metaphor). Range has increased, access to charging infrastructure has expanded,… Read more »
Natrion reveals solid-state pouch cell prototype
Battery cell producer Natrion has revealed its first solid-state pouch cell prototype. The prototypes continue to be developed at a Natrion facility in Champaign, Illinois. “Natrion now has the capability to produce multilayer pouch cells up to 4 Ah in size,” says the company. The company plans to start sharing samples with possible customers and… Read more »
Consortium looks at recycling cathodes, electrolytes and graphite in closed loop
An industrial and scientific research consortium funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action plans to research and develop processes for recycling cathode metals, electrolytes and graphite multiple times. The HVBatCycle research consortium is planned to operate for 3 years. “In order to have to use fewer materials from primary sources such… Read more »
Researchers find additive can limit dendrite growth
A research team led by Dr. Hongyi Li and Dr. Tetsu Ichitsubo, both of Tohoku University in Japan, found that a multivalent cation additive can limit dendrite growth in rechargeable batteries by modifying the solvation structures of lithium or sodium ions in electrolyte. In an article published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the researchers say:… Read more »
BASF to build black mass plant in Germany to recycle batteries
BASF has announced it will build a black mass plant for recycling batteries in Schwarzheide, Germany, where it already has a cathode active materials production and recycling facility. The company says the new plant, which is expected to begin production in early 2024, will be built to the highest environmental, health and safety standards. BASF… Read more »
BMW to open facility for demonstrating and analyzing Li-ion cell production
BMW plans to open a Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CCMC) in the fall of 2022 to demonstrate and study lithium-ion cell production. Located in Parsdorf, Germany, the CCMC will develop a pilot line for battery cell production in stages. At the beginning, systems for electrode production will be installed and run, graphite and nickel oxides… Read more »
Canada’s Innovation Supercluster Initiative spurs $76 million in zero-emission vehicle investments
NGen Canada, a non-profit organization that promotes advanced manufacturing, has announced a series of new innovation projects to support the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) manufacturing ecosystem in Canada. In 2021, NGen launched a call for proposals to support R&D projects for ZEV manufacturing, systems, components, and batteries. Now the organization has announced 15 new industry-led consortia… Read more »
6K secures $102 million in Series D funding to accelerate battery material production and recycling
6K, a producer of engineered materials for lithium-ion batteries, has raised $102 million in the first of two Series D funding tranches. The round was led by Koch Strategic Platforms, an investment arm of fossil fuel giant Koch Industries, with participation by investors Energy Impact Partners, Albemarle, HG Ventures and others. 6K will use the… Read more »