News

February 4, 2016

Skeleton Technologies Scores €4 Million in New Investment for its Graphene Ultracapacitors

Ultracapacitor manufacturer Skeleton Technologies has secured a €4 million investment from the energy-oriented investment company KIC InnoEnergy, part of €9.8 million in Series B financing raised by Skeleton last year. “We see KIC InnoEnergy as a strong, value-added partner, with a number of their investors being current or potential customers […]
February 4, 2016

Graphene Cages Could be the Key to Silicon Anodes

Battery boffins are buzzing about silicon anodes, which could store up to 10 times more energy than today’s anodes. The catch is that silicon particles tend to swell and crack during cycling, and to react with the electrolyte in unwanted ways. Now a team from Stanford University and the Department […]
February 1, 2016

Motorola Invests in Magnesium-Ion Battery Startup Pellion

Motorola Solutions has invested an unspecified amount in Pellion Technologies, a startup that was founded by a team of MIT researchers. Pellion is focused on commercializing magnesium-ion battery technology. Because magnesium is divalent, it can displace double the charge per ion that lithium can, and the element is more abundant […]
January 28, 2016

Nissan EV Batteries (Next Generation) To Be Produced In Sunderland, UK

Originally published on EV Obsession. Nissan has announced that it will be producing future-generation EV batteries in Sunderland, in the UK. First of all, this is exciting news for Sunderland and the UK as a whole, as it means high-quality, high-paying jobs for hundreds of people. Additionally, I’m viewing it […]
January 27, 2016

Self-Heating Lithium-Ion Battery Aims to Conquer Winter Range Anxiety

One of the drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries is that they tend to suffer power loss in cold weather. At temperatures below freezing, charging is slower, regenerative braking is restricted and vehicle range can be reduced. Now researchers from Penn State and spin-off company EC Power have developed a battery that […]
January 23, 2016

The Solutions Project: How 139 Countries Can Hit 100% Renewable Energy

The idea of hitting 100% renewable energy (yes, energy, not just electricity) scares a lot of people. That is, a lot of people don’t think their cities or countries can achieve 100% renewable energy. However, a leading energy researcher at Stanford has led teams of researchers in order to practically […]
January 18, 2016

Two-Level Cathode Structure Improves Battery Performance

As the search for a better battery grinds on, a lot of the attention is focused on potential cathode materials. Nickel is one possibility that shows a lot of promise – its drawback is that it is unstable and tends to have destructive reactions with the electrolyte. Now a team […]
January 15, 2016

New Material Shuts Down Batteries at High Temperatures and Restarts When it Cools

Stanford researchers have invented a new technology that could eliminate thermal runaway in high-energy-density batteries. Thermal runaway refers to a chain reaction in which an increase in temperature causes further increases in temperature and uncontrollable release of energy. In “Fast and reversible thermoresponsive polymer switching materials for safer batteries,” published in Nature […]
January 5, 2016

Saft To Provide Batteries For Over 200 French Trains

Saft has signed an agreement with SNCF, the national railway operator in France, to provide nickel-based batteries for over 200 trains, which employ the Alstom Coradia Duplex electric multiple unit (EMU) platform. These trains can achieve 160 km/h and are used in regional routes in France. The Saft/SNCF contract has been valued at about […]
December 21, 2015

Texas Instruments Introduces Integrated Battery Monitor and Protector

Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) has introduced what it calls the industry’s first integrated battery monitor and protector. The enticingly-named bq76PL455A-Q1 provides cell-voltage monitoring for large batteries with up to 256 cells in a series. The bq76PL455A-Q1 is designed to reveal a pack’s state of charge and state of health by […]
December 18, 2015

Separion P20 – a New Flexible Ceramic Separator

Litarion, a subsidiary of Electrovaya Inc, has introduced a new, thinner flexible ceramic separator for utility-scale and EV applications. Among all cell components, the separator, is responsible of preventing the contact between the electrodes while permitting a free transport of ions in the cell. Its properties are also closely related […]
December 16, 2015

Navitas to Develop Second-gen Li-ion Batteries for Military Vehicles

Navitas Systems, a provider of energy storage products and power electronics, has won a $7.2 million contract to develop next-generation lithium-ion batteries for military vehicles. As new power-hungry electronics proliferate, the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) has been working with Navitas to develop prototype 24 […]