Battery News & Analysis

News: Batteries

New Battery and Energy Storage Technology

Learn more about the latest in new battery technology and discover the next generation in battery and energy storage with expert analysis by Power Systems Research analysts.

2024-09-23

Battery Made from Stone Could Transform EVs

Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have developed a super-ionic material based on potassium silicate, a compound extracted from ordinary rocks. This innovation could potentially revolutionize the way we power electric cars.

Potassium silicate, the key material in this new battery technology, is abundantly available in the earth’s crust. Potassium silicate is also resilient to air and moisture, allowing it to be easily integrated into batteries as a thin layer without the need for expensive protective measures.

Source: MSN: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: We continue to see many new innovations in battery technology which show a lot of promise. This one has the potential to be safer and cheaper, but we are far from commercialization so this innovation is a long way off. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Fast Charging Gets Faster in LFP Batteries

Zeekr, an electric vehicle (EV) maker within the Geely Auto group, has integrated its self-developed fast-charging battery technology, based on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, into its latest vehicles

According to the company, the 75 kWh battery pack supports ‘5.5C ultra-fast charging,’ enabling vehicles to charge from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes using 800V charging at Zeekr’s proprietary stations.

Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Until this, all Lithium -ion batteries using NMC cathodes were faster than LFP batteries. This reverses that and means that this ultra fast charging together with safer LFP chemistry could eventually replace standard NMC battery chemistries

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

2024-09-18

Alternative Power Report, September 2024

Alternative Power Report – Sept 2024Download

Read about Greely adding fast-charging batteries to its EV autos; Volvo backtracking on its EV pledge; Volkswagen considering factory shutdowns in Germany, and a new battery made from stone, all this and more in the September 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report published by Power Systems Research. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

Wastewater Needed by LFP Battery Supply Chain

Many people are talking about lithium iron phosphate batteries, especially auto industry stakeholders who are eager to get their hands on a higher-performing, lower-costing and safer battery. If the supply chain doesn’t get its act together soon, this may be problematic.

81% of the global supply of phosphate rock is produced by just six countries, with China and Morocco in the lead, but the real problem is further up the supply chain. Regardless of the source, an LFP battery can’t use phosphate rock straight from the mine. It has to be purified with only 3% of total phosphate production currently suitable for lithium ion battery applications, given its refinement needs.

Source: CleanTechnica: Read The Article

PSR Analysis: Gathering phosphates from wastewater sludge could be a solution, but as with most new tech, investment is needed. A side effect of this could be improved water quality.   PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead for Power Systems Research

2024-08-24

Alternative Power Report, August 2024

Alternative Power Report – Aug 2024Download

The August issue of PSR’s Alternative Power Report includes several articles on battery development, including ones describing news at Tesla. This month’s report also includes news on hydrogen power and the decline in diesel sales. PSR

Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research

2024-07-15

Research Offers Efficient Lithium Production

As the electric vehicle market booms, the demand for lithium has also soared, with global lithium production more than tripling in the last decade. Current methods of extracting lithium from rock ores or brines are slow and come with high energy demands and environmental costs. They also require sources of lithium which are incredibly concentrated to begin with and are only found in a few countries.

Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have optimized a new method for extracting lithium from more dilute (and widespread) sources of lithium, including seawater, groundwater, and “flowback water” left behind from fracking and offshore oil drilling.

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LG, Hyundai Open Indonesia EV Battery Plant

SOUTH KOREA REPORT

South Korean battery giants LG Energy Solutions and Hyundai Motor have opened their first battery plant in Indonesia. The plant will produce batteries for electric vehicles to be sold locally and in neighboring countries. Indonesian President Joko made the announcement at a ceremony held July 3 in the Karawang region near the capital, Jakarta, to mark the opening of the new plant.

The investment is $1.2 billion, split 50-50 between LG Energy and Hyundai Motor. The annual battery production capacity is 10 GWh, which is equivalent to 150,000 electric vehicles. The plan is to invest an additional $2 billion in the second phase to increase the capacity to 20 GWh.

The company will produce lithium-ion batteries using a cathode material called NCMA. The high nickel content increases battery performance and range. The new plant will be LG Energy’s fifth production site in Southeast Asia, following those in South Korea, Poland, China and the U.S.

LG Energy has already supplied NCMA to Tesla, among others. In addition to Indonesia, the new plant will also serve as an export base for batteries used in electric vehicles sold by Hyundai Motor in neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, India, South Korea and elsewhere.

Source: The Nikkei

PSR Analysis:  South Korea, which is positioning its battery industry as a key national industry, is moving very fast. The fact that it was able to get its battery plant up and running before its competitors may give it an advantage in its future business development in the region. But China’s CATL, the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, plans to build new factories for batteries, battery materials and battery recycling in Indonesia in cooperation with local companies. The investment is about $6 billion. The news of the new plant in Indonesia is good news for South Korea’s automotive industry, but whether South Korea will be able to maintain a stable supply of EV battery materials in the future remains to be seen yet. PSR

Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research

Chinese Joint Venture Begins Mississippi Battery Plant

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

ACT Company (AMPLIFY CELL TECHNOLOGIES LLC ), a Chinese a joint venture company, has broken ground for a battery production plant in Mississippi.

ACT Company was established by EVE Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary EVE Energy US, Cummins, Daimler Trucks, and Paccar. The joint venture will produce prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries, mainly for designated North American commercial vehicle applications. It will have an annual production capacity of about 21GWh and will provide more than 2,000 local jobs.

The project is expected to start shipping in 2026, and the three foreign enterprises and their affiliates will become the main customers, purchasing most of the products from the factory.

ACT Company is the first project of EVE Energy’s CLS model, aiming to enhance the flexibility and competitiveness in the global cooperation process, and to work with more partners to jointly promote sustainable development. The successful beginning of this project marks the entry of EVE Energy into a new stage of global development.

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