Canada funds Nano One’s Li-ion durability improvement research


The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) has granted Nano One’s “Coatings for High Durability Lithium-ion Battery Cathodes” project $349,000 in non-dilutive and non-repayable funds. The project is intended to study various coatings and dopants that can reduce or remove instabilities in cathode materials. Nano One intends to focus its resources… Read more »

Rolls-Royce unveils marine battery system


Rolls-Royce has released SAVe Energy, a Li-ion battery system designed for ships. Rolls-Royce has provided energy storage systems since 2010, but it previously depended on third parties for the battery packs. The new system is liquid-cooled and modular to accommodate different vessel classes and requirements. Along with The Norwegian Research Council of Norway’s ENERGIX funding,… Read more »

University of Michigan researchers develop non-combustible, non-degrading ceramic electrolyte


Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a solid-state electrolyte which they claim is non-combustible (which is good, because it’s heated to over 1,800° F during manufacturing!) and not vulnerable to dendrite formation due to a stabilizing ceramic layer. The electrolyte has special properties that allow for increased capacities and faster charging rates as well. Current… Read more »

YM Tech unveils three new DC high-voltage relays for EVs


Contactor specialist YM Tech presented three new additions to its line of DC high-voltage EV relays at Shanghai’s International Lithium Battery Industry Fair. The new EVH400 DC contactor is rated for 400 A and 1,000 VDC, the EVH600 DC contactor is rated for 600 A and 750 VDC, and the EVH1000 is rated for 100 A… Read more »

ZAF to use $300,000 grant to increase production of nickel-zinc batteries


Nickel-zinc (NiZn) specialist ZAF Energy Systems has received $300,000, the first installment of a $600,000 investment from Missouri’s Department of Economic Development. With the new funding, ZAF will increase production capacity to meet the increasing demand for its NiZn batteries. The company claims that the batteries have double the storage capacity and triple the power… Read more »

AKASOL begins mass production of batteries for Mercedes eCitaro electric bus


This fall, AKASOL is set to begin mass producing batteries for Mercedes-Benz’s eCitaro. AKASOL’s first-generation battery systems will contain ten battery modules for up to 243 kWh per vehicle and a charging rate of up to 300 kW. In order to make this possible, AKASOL uses a water-cooling system to keep its batteries at 25° C in various… Read more »

Ricardo announces 48 V e-motor with improved power density


As per the goals of the European Competitiveness in Commercial Hybrid and AutoMotive PowertrainS (ECOCHAMPS) project, Ricardo Innovations has developed a new 48 V e-motor and inverter combination that it says delivers a 50% power density increase compared to alternatives. ECOCHAMPS brought 25 European commercial and academic partners together to design powertrains with at least… Read more »

Tokyo Tech introduces fabrication process for low-resistance solid-state batteries


Solid-state batteries are theoretically safer, more stable, and have higher energy densities than conventional Li-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes. Unfortunately, they also tend to have relatively high resistance at the interfaces between their electrodes and solid electrolytes, which can limit the rate of charging and discharging. In order to solve this, researchers from the Tokyo… Read more »

Sila Nano raises $70 million in funding for silicon-dominant battery anodes


Battery specialist Sila Nanotechnologies has received $70 million in Series D funding from Sutter Hill Ventures, Next47 (backed by Siemens), and Amperex. Sila Nano will use the funding for the development and commercialization of its silicon-dominant anodes. Overall, Sila has raised $125 million from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Chengwei Capital, Matrix Partners, Samsung, and… Read more »

bdtronic develops motor impregnator with 45-second cycle time


bdtronic GmbH – a global manufacturer of dispensing machines and systems to process polyurethane, epoxy, silicone or liquid resins – has developed what it claims to be the world’s largest and fastest automotive motor impregnation machine. The B8300 impregnator is designed to assist in the motor production process. Its main function is to fill electric motor stators with… Read more »