News

July 7, 2016

Amprius Demonstrates New Tool for Manufacturing of Silicon Nanowire Anodes

Battery manufacturer Amprius has demonstrated a new system for inline, continuous, and roll-to-roll production of three-dimensional silicon nanowire anodes that it says will enable it to scale up manufacturing more quickly. Silicon is widely considered to be the next big thing in anode technology – battery-builders and automakers (including Tesla) […]
July 5, 2016

Solid State Ion-Conducting Membrane Could Enable Safer Batteries

Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a flexible, solid-state, ion-conducting membrane based on a 3D Li-ion conducting ceramic nanofiber network. In “Flexible, solid-state, ion-conducting membrane with 3D garnet nanofiber networks for lithium batteries,” published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists describe a hybrid […]
July 4, 2016

SiNode Systems Wins $4-Million Contract to Develop Silicon-Graphene Anode Materials

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has awarded a $4-million contract toSiNode Systems for the development of advanced anode materials for automotive lithium-ion batteries. The 30-month program will focus on the development of silicon-graphene anode material for vehicle applications, and the development and scale-up of pouch cells. SiNode’s technology […]
July 1, 2016

Kreisel — New Battery Competitor In Home Storage & EVs (In Depth)

Kreisel is an Austrian battery pack manufacturer that has been making battery packs for electric vehicle applications. The company website describes it this way: “The company was founded by brothers Johann, Markus and Philipp Kreisel in 2014 as a small, independent start-up with solid technical know-how and plenty of passion.” The Kreisel pack […]
July 1, 2016

Strem Chemicals Licenses Next-gen Battery Materials From Argonne National Lab

Specialty chemicals firm Strem Chemicals plans to manufacture and distribute nine battery solvents and additives based on intellectual property for next-generation battery materials that it has licensed from Argonne National Laboratory. The materials were invented at Argonne’s Electrochemical Energy Storage Center and scaled at Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF). […]
June 30, 2016

South Korean Battery Makers Face a Surprise Challenge in China

South Korea’s two largest battery manufacturers, LG Chem and Samsung SDI, have failed to secure battery certifications for electric vehicles in China, according to reports. The setback leaves both companies potentially ineligible to benefit from Chinese state subsidies worth up to as much as 40 percent of the value of […]
June 24, 2016

Panasonic Forges Alliance With Beijing Automotive Group For Chinese Market

This is not a time for global companies to sit around and rest on their laurels. Panasonic is pushing ahead with its partnership with Tesla Motors to build the Gigafactory in Nevada. Now it has also forged an alliance with Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) to manufacture electric car parts and components […]
June 21, 2016

Johnson Matthey Licenses CAMX-7 Cathode Materials

CAMX Power has granted specialty chemical supplier Johnson Matthey a license relating to its CAM-7 platform of nickel-based cathode materials for use in lithium-ion batteries. The CAM-7 platform covers a range of nickel-rich cathode materials that are designed to offer excellent energy density, cycle life, gassing and power handling, making […]
June 20, 2016

Grow Your Own EV Battery With A Loofah Sponge Gourd

The Intertubes have been buzzing with news that the humble loofah sponge can improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries, by contributing a layer of carbon to the cathodes. The new layer provides for stability and durability, which is good news for EV fans looking for the cost of electric mobility […]
June 9, 2016

FMC to Triple Lithium Hydroxide Capacity to Serve the Growing EV Market

Citing the rapid growth of EV sales FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) has announced plans to triple its production capacity of lithium hydroxide by 2019. The expansion will take place in three phases. FMC expects to reach a capacity of at least 30,000 metric tons by 2019, although it has the […]
June 9, 2016

New Papers Cast Doubt on Lithium-Air Breakthrough

Back in October, Cambridge scientists wowed the battery world with an announcement that they had demonstrated a highly efficient and long-lasting lithium-oxygen battery. Lithium-oxygen, or lithium-air, batteries have a theoretical energy density ten times that of lithium-ion solutions, but suffer from poor cycle life. In a paper published in the […]
June 7, 2016

Nanoscale Probe Offers a Close-up View of Chemical Reactions in Batteries

Although the material in a battery electrode may look uniform to the naked eye, at the atomic level, it’s a diverse landscape. Tiny variations in materials can affect reaction rates, and thus battery performance, in complex ways. Professor Jiangyu Li and his colleagues at the University of Washington have built […]