News

December 1, 2015

Navigant Research Names LG Chem As Top Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery Company

LG Chem has been named by the most recent Navigant Research Leaderboard report on automotive lithium-ion battery companies as the top company in the market. The report — which ranks companies based on strategy and execution — saw the top position, held by LG Chem, followed by positions held by […]
November 27, 2015

Could 2017 BMW i3 Use Samsung SDI’s Planned 94 Ah Battery Cells?

About a month ago, BMW CEO Harold Krueger surprised the EV world by casually mentioning in an interview with Die Zeit that in 2016 the i3 would have increased range. That of course sparked a lot of online speculation as to how BMW would accomplish this. Did it figure out a way to […]
November 23, 2015

The DOE’s SBIR/STTR Programs Offer EV-related R&D Funding For Small Businesses

The DOE has announced a new batch of topics for the 2016 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs. Under the SBIR and STTR programs, federal agencies set aside portions of their R&D budgets for small businesses. Companies that win awards keep the rights to any […]
November 16, 2015

Batteries That Charge ~10 Times Faster

New fast-charging lithium-in batteries were recently unveiled by workers from Watt Lab — an arm of the Central Research Institute at Huawei Technology Corporation — at the recent 56th Battery Symposium in Japan, according to recent reports. The newly unveiled batteries reportedly charge ~10 times faster than conventional lithium-ion batteries […]
November 9, 2015

Daimler Uses Smart EV Battery Packs in German Electricity Balancing Market

Daimler, together with partners The Mobility House and GETEC, has built what it says is the world’s largest second-life battery storage unit. The stationary storage unit is to go into service at the beginning of 2016 at the site of REMONDIS, a recycling, service and water company in the German town […]
November 6, 2015

Researchers Develop New Silicon-Sulfur-Graphene Electrode Material

Researchers from the University of Waterloo and GM’s Global Research and Development Center have developed a new silicon-based anode material that they say could enable batteries with almost 10 times more energy density than today’s state of the art. In “Evidence of covalent synergy in silicon–sulfur–graphene yielding highly efficient and […]
November 5, 2015

Enevate Says its Batteries Can Charge 5-10 Times Faster Than Conventional Li-ion

California-based Enevate Corporation has announced an “ultrafast charging” feature for its batteries, which has been demonstrated to provide a 90% charge in 15 minutes while increasing capacity compared to current Li-ion batteries. Enevate’s HD-Energy Technology uses silicon-dominant composite anodes, and the company claims an 25-50% increase in energy density over […]
November 3, 2015

Cambridge Scientists Claim Promising Lithium-Oxygen Battery Advancements

Cambridge scientists have developed a working demonstrator of a lithium-oxygen battery that is more than 90% efficient, and can be recharged more than 2,000 times. Lithium-oxygen, or lithium-air, has been touted as the ultimate battery technology, because its theoretical energy density is ten times that of lithium-ion solutions. In “Cycling […]
November 2, 2015

Under New Chinese Owners, A123 Finds Promising Niche in Micro-Hybrid Market

Most Charged readers will certainly remember A123, the company that was founded in 2001 on the basis of promising battery technology developed at MIT; received a $249-million grant from the DOE and $100 million in tax breaks from the state of Michigan; raised $380 million in a 2009 IPO; made […]
October 31, 2015

Samsung Opens Lithium-Ion Battery Factory In China

An inauguration ceremony for Samsung SDI’s newly completed electric vehicle battery production facility in the Gaoxin Industrial District in Xi’an, in Shaanxi Province, China, was recently held by the Korean company. Worth noting here is that Samsung SDI is now the first “top” battery manufacturer to develop an electric vehicle […]
October 28, 2015

LG Chem to Supply Battery Upgrade for Tesla Roadster

Tesla has confirmed that it has a contract with South Korean firm LG Chem to provide batteries for Roadster 3.0, a package of range-enhancing improvements for Tesla’s famous first vehicle. The company began taking orders for the $29,000 upgrade in September. Until this announcement, Tesla’s only known battery supplier was […]
October 26, 2015

Vacuum Maker Dyson Acquires Solid-state Battery Pioneer Sakti3

Dyson, the manufacturer of high-tech vacuum cleaners and restroom hand dryers, has acquired Michigan startup Sakti3 for $90 million in cash, as reported by Quartz. Founder and CEO Ann Marie Sastry will oversee development of her company’s solid-state battery technology as an executive for Dyson. UK-based Dyson, which invested $15 million […]