Battery Technology

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $50 million to be invested over the next five years to establish the Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage (LENS) consortium led by DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory to develop high-energy, long-lasting sodium-ion batteries.

The consortium includes six national laboratories and eight universities, which aim to develop sodium-ion batteries that will offer a more sustainable and lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion technology. They will seek to foster an industrial ecosystem for sodium-ion batteries in the US to diversify the supply of electric vehicle batteries and relieve supply chain concerns.

Dominant battery chemistries today include lithium, cobalt and nickel. Sodium, as an abundant element, can reduce risk by providing a wider variety of cost-effective options, Argonne noted. However, sodium-ion batteries store less energy per unit weight and volume, which results in a lower driving range—a barrier to competing with lithium-ion batteries.

“The challenge ahead is improving sodium-ion energy density so that it first matches and then exceeds that of phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries while minimizing and eliminating the use of all critical elements,” said Venkat Srinivasan, Director of the LENS consortium and the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS). “Importantly, any improvements must not compromise other performance metrics such as cycle life and safety.”

The researchers from the consortium’s national laboratories and universities will work to discover and develop high-energy electrode materials, improve electrolytes, and design, integrate and benchmark battery cells.

An advisory board comprising well-established and emerging companies will provide industry perspectives and aim to nurture a US ecosystem for sodium-ion batteries.

DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are among the consortium’s participants.

Source: Argonne National Laboratory

US-based home energy technology provider ConnectDER has secured $35 million in Series D funding to accelerate its market expansion and development of its meter socket adapters for EV charging and solar power systems.

The financing round was led by new investors Decarbonization Partners, which is a partnership between BlackRock and Temasek, and MassMutual Ventures. Existing investors Avista Development, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Innovation Capital, Evergy Ventures, LG Technology Ventures, and Zoma Capital also participated.

The investment comes as ConnectDER prepares to launch IslandDER, its next-generation meter socket adapter, which is designed to integrate with utility grids and enable islanding of solar, battery storage, EVs and other distributed energy resources, providing whole-home backup and resiliency.

Read our 2022 Interview: CEO of ConnectDER on its meter collar EV charging tech

ConnectDER has 25,000 adapters in operation and approved for use in many states, and expects to take its sales nationwide in the next few years.

“With this latest Series D funding we’re poised to not only expand our existing markets but also our offerings by bringing a solution for energy storage systems to the market,” said Ivo Steklac, CEO of ConnectDER. “Our upcoming IslandDER allows homes to disconnect and reconnect from the grid, enabling customers to harness stored energy from solar plus battery systems or EVs providing innovative backup power and resilience to market at a competitive cost point.”

Source: ConnectDER

In China, battery manufacturer Sunwoda and materials specialist XTC are joining forces to develop and industrialize preliminary products for solid-state batteries. Sunwoda is known for making steady progress in semi-solid and solid-state batteries.

Daimler Truck has begun series production of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 at its plant in Wörth am Rhein, Germany.

Mercedes-Benz’s third electric truck model after the eActros 300/400 and the eEconic, the eActros 600 is designed for long-haul applications. It boasts up to 500 km of range, depending on the specific application and ambient conditions. Its three battery packs, each with 207 kWh, provide a total installed capacity of 621 kWh.

The eActros 600 is manufactured on the existing assembly line of the Wörth A-series production alongside diesel-drive trucks. It is the first electric truck from Wörth to be assembled in one production hall. Its battery-electric drive components, including electric axles, transmission components and front boxes, are supplied by company plants in Mannheim, Gaggenau and Kassel.

The truck will contribute to the complete electrification of delivery traffic into the Wörth plant by the end of 2026, according to the company.

“Our eActros 600 is addressing the long-haul segment in Europe which is responsible for two thirds of CO₂ emissions from heavy road freight,” said Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström.

Source: Daimler Truck

SOLiTHOR has made advancements in the development of its lithium solid-state batteries, which are designed to help the aviation and maritime industries accelerate their electric transition.

The latest advancements include improvements in cyclability, energy density and readiness for industrialization.

Recent testing of SOLiTHOR’s pouch cells, conducted at a moderate temperature of 25° C and with external pressure below 72 psi/4.9 atm, has resulted in 1,000 full charge discharge cycles with a coulombic efficiency above 99.2 %. The testing measured endurance, which is a key performance requirement for long-lasting aviation and maritime applications.

The company’s thin Gen-1 solid electrolyte combined with thin lithium metal and high-loading nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathodes enables specific energy of 384 Wh/kg and energy density of 1,026 Wh/l at stack level obtained on a different set of cells. These gravimetric energy values are significant for the aviation and maritime sectors, which require lighter, safer and more powerful batteries.

Relative discharge capacity as a function of number of full cycles for a representative Lithium metal-solid state pouch cell based on NMC / Gen 1 Solid Electrolyte / Li metal components

SOLiTHOR’s solid-state technology is fully compatible with commercial cathode components manufactured in the lithium-ion battery industry. This will enable the rapid industrialization of its products in the coming years by leveraging lithium-ion battery production lines at low cost, according to the company.

SOLiTHOR has manufactured 3 Ah pouch cell prototypes, which it is running through its internal performance and safety testing protocols. Its short-term plan is to send those prototypes for external validation and testing at aviation and maritime manufacturers.

“Aviation and maritime vessels require high power and high energy to provide the necessary electrification to safely transport aircraft and ships over longer distances. One of SOLiTHOR’s long-term objectives is to partner with battery manufacturers to mass-produce the cells for both our aviation and maritime clients,” said Huw Hampson-Jones, the company’s CEO.

Source: SOLiTHOR

Battery technology developer Paraclete Energy has released the results of a study on its SILO Silicon anode material demonstrating its potential to reduce battery weight by 50% while simultaneously doubling driving range.

SILO Silicon allows a standard 80 kWh battery pack to be downsized from approximately 7,000 individual cells weighing 565 kg to fewer than 2,000 cells weighing 150 kg, the study found. This 73% weight reduction enhances vehicle performance and efficiency while enabling the same driving range. A 300 kg battery pack configuration using SILO Silicon delivers 160 kWh of power, effectively doubling the standard driving range from 290 miles to over 580 miles while reducing battery weight by 50%.

By minimizing the size and weight of battery packs, manufacturers could reduce their production costs.

The company said recently that it has reached a cost of $35/kWh for SILO Silicon—below the typical cost of $53/kWh for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries using graphite anodes.

“Our data-driven approach demonstrates not only substantial reductions in battery weight and size but also an increase in driving range. These advancements address critical consumer demands for more efficient, affordable and sustainable electric vehicles,” said Jeff Norris, CEO of Paraclete Energy.

Source: Paraclete Energy