Report: cobalt supply for EV batteries is adequate for now, but should be scaled up to meet future demands


The growth of the EV market depends on the continued availability of key materials such as cobalt, an element used in battery cathodes. Scientists from the American Chemical Society (ACS) wanted to find out if planned cobalt expansions could keep pace with this rapid growth. Their research, published in the ACS journal Environmental Science &… Read more »

A look at BMS validation testing


The battery pack is not only one of the most expensive components in an EV—it’s also incredibly complex, in some cases comprising thousands of individual cells. The tasks of preserving a battery’s efficiency, lifespan, thermal stability and safety rest upon the battery management system (BMS), an embedded controller that regulates the flow and distribution of… Read more »

Does Tesla have a game-changing new battery cell in the pipeline?


There’s little dispute that Tesla has a substantial head start in terms of battery tech vis a vis the legacy automakers. Now Electrek has reported that Tesla has a secret project called “Roadrunner” that could soon enable the company to produce much cheaper battery cells on a massive scale. For some time, it’s been apparent… Read more »

MIT team develops novel solid electrolytes and pure lithium anodes


New research from MIT could lead to batteries that pack more power per pound and last longer. A new paper co-authored by Yuming Chen and Ziqiang Wang at MIT explores the idea of using pure lithium as the battery’s anode. The design is part of a concept for developing safe solid-state batteries by dispensing with… Read more »

Kia prioritises Europe over the US in the face of battery trouble

Kia will be initially concentrating on getting its electric models to Europe before the South Korean company attempts to satisfy demand in the USA. The awkward situation for the popular carmaker was revealed in an interview with a top Kia manager in the USA. The decision to prioritise the European market lies in the company’s […]

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BASF to build battery materials plant in Germany, supplying up to 400,000 EVs per year


Chemical company BASF announced a new battery materials production site in Schwarzheide, Germany, as part of its multi-step investment in Europe’s EV value chain. The new plant will produce cathode active materials with an initial capacity enabling the supply of around 400,000 pure EVs per year with BASF battery materials. The company says the Schwarzheide… Read more »

Lucid signs supply agreement with LG Chem

Lucid Motors has signed a long-term supply contract with LG Chem. It covers the supply of LG Chem battery cells for the standard version of the Lucid Air electric sedan until 2023. Series production of the first Lucid Motors model is scheduled to begin at the end of this year in Casa Grande (Arizona). The […]

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Hydro-Québec commercializing electrolyte patents for solid-state batteries

Solid State Battery
The University of Texas at Austin has agreed to transfer patents relating to a new type of electrolyte to be used in solid-state lithium batteries to Hydro-Québec, Canada’s largest electricity producer. The patents are co-invented by Dr. John B. Goodenough—a professor at The University of Texas at Austin and the 2019 Nobel Laureate in chemistry—and… Read more »

95.6 GWh of EV battery capacity deployed in 2019


In 2019, 95.6 GWh of battery capacity was deployed globally in new passenger EVs, an increase of 30% over the prior year, according to a tracking system developed by Adamas Intelligence. Asia Pacific led the pack with 50.9 GWh deployed, an increase of 27% year-over-year. Europe followed with 23.9 GWh deployed, a large increase of… Read more »