Nissan working on next-gen amorphous silicon (SiO) Li-ion battery

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Nissan Arc Ltd. announced today joint development of an atomic analysis methodology that will aid in boosting the performance of lithium-ion batteries, and ultimately extend the driving range of zero-emission electric vehicles.

The breakthrough was the result of a combined R&D effort between Nissan Arc Ltd., a Nissan subsidiary, Tohoku University, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

The analysis examines the structure of amorphous silicon monoxide (SiO), widely seen as key to boosting next-generation lithium-ion battery (Li-ion) capacity, allowing researchers to better understand electrode structure during charging cycles.

Silicon (Si) is capable of holding greater amounts of lithium, compared with common carbon-based materials, but in crystalline form possesses a structure that deteriorates during charging cycles, ultimately impacting performance. However, amorphous SiO is resistant to such deterioration.

Its base structure had been unknown, making it difficult for mass production. However, the new methodology provides an accurate understanding of the amorphous structure of SiO, based on a combination of structural analyses and computer simulations.

The atomic structure of SiO was thought to be inhomogeneous, making its precise atomic arrangements the subject of debate. The new findings show that its structure allows the storage of a larger number of Li ions, in turn leading to better battery performance.

“The invention of this new analysis method is essential to further develop the next generation of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. It will certainly become one of our core technologies. The utilization of this analysis method in our future R&D will surely contribute to extending the cruising range of future zero-emission vehicles,” said Takao Asami, senior vice president of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Nissan Arc Ltd.

Daniele Schillaci, executive vice president of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Global Sales & Marketing including Zero Emission Vehicle and Battery business, said the development was another proof point of Nissan’s commitment to innovation in advanced technologies.

“Nissan is exploring a wide range of energy sources for tomorrow’s vehicles, and we recognize our role in continuously investing in multiple technologies and intelligent mobility,” said Schillaci.

More: Nature Communications

Ford, Xerox PARC & Oak Ridge Labs Team up to Develop EV Battery

Xerox PARC today announced its ‘Co-Extrusion (CoEx) for Cost Reduction of Advanced High-Energy-and-Power Battery Electrode Manufacturing’ project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Ford Motor Company, the project will use PARC’s novel CoEx printing technology to fabricate thick higher energy and higher power battery electrodes with the end goal of enabling longer range and low cost electric vehicles.

The project goal is to demonstrate pilot-scale, electric vehicle (EV) pouch cells with a 20% improvement in gravimetric energy density (Wh/kg), and a 30% reduction in $/kWh costs. CoEx allows fine structures to be printed at high speed, and when applied to thick battery electrodes, it adds a new design dimension that can be used to enhance energy and power performance. This innovative approach has the potential to help make high performance and affordable electric vehicles (EVs) a reality.

PARC will develop the inks and CoEx hardware required to fabricate a thick high energy and high power CoEx cathode electrodes. ORNL will assist PARC with the matching anode development, anode and CoEx cathode coating at pilot scale, and electrochemical performance optimization in automotive-relevant lithium-ion pouch cells. The bulk of this research will occur at the DOE Battery Manufacturing R&D Facility (BMF) at ORNL, which was designed in 2011 with these types of projects in mind. PARC will design a custom CoEx apparatus that will be integrated into one of the research coating lines at the BMF.

“The PARC team is excited to start this collaboration with ORNL and Ford. CoEx has the potential to make higher capacity EV batteries possible through the creation of two and three dimensional structures which can enhance lithium-ion pathways in ultra-thick battery electrodes. Our goal is to fabricate EV pouch cells that are higher in energy and power than conventional, with a path towards a reduction in $/kWh costs for EVs”said project principal investigator and PARC CoEx technical lead Dr. Corie Cobb.

“PARC and ORNL have a track record of working successfully together, and their collaboration on this project will transform the way lithium-ion electrode coatings are made and perform under high discharge rates,” said ORNL project lead David Wood.

PARC’s CoEx project is part of a portfolio of research within the PARC Energy Technology Program aimed at developing practical solutions to make clean and abundant energy available across a wide range of applications. This includes a focus on improving energy storage for EVs, consumer electronics, and electric grid support through better ways to make, monitor, and manage batteries.

“By leveraging our deep background in printing, PARC has developed the CoEx printing process to enable higher performance solar cells, fuel cells and batteries.,” said Scott Elrod, Vice President of PARC’s Hardware Systems Lab. “By applying CoEx to printed batteries, we can create optimal structures that boost power performance without compromising energy storage. It’s an efficient and a lower-cost approach that can be applied to the mass manufacturing of batteries.”

LG Chem plans to build electric car battery factory in Poland – source

South Korea's LG Chem plans to build an electric vehicle battery factory in Poland to meet rising demand from European automakers, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

"The plant will be completed in about one-and-a-half years," said the source, who did not want to be named as he was not authorized to talk to the media. He did not provide any details on the size of the investment.

The facilities, to be located in the southwestern Polish city of Wroclaw, will ultimately have a production capacity of 229,000 EV batteries a year, making it LG Chem's second-biggest EV battery factory after China, the source said.

The company also builds EV batteries in South Korea and the United States.

LG Chem - the battery supplier for General Motors' upcoming electric car Bolt - counts a total of 25 automakers globally, including Renault, Volkswagen, Audi and Volvo in Europe, as its customers.

A spokesman for LG Chem said it was considering adding car battery production facilities, but nothing had been decided.

Automakers around the world are expected to roll out a slew of electric vehicles to meet tougher emissions and fuel economy regulations, although there are concerns that current low oil prices will dent demand for fuel-efficient cars.

LG Chem's rival Samsung SDI, which has BMW as one of its customers, is also considering building an EV battery factory in Europe, a Samsung SDI spokesman said.

2017 BMW i3 to get 200 km (EPA) range, starts production in July

BMW will boost the range of its i3 electric car by about half for the 2017 model year.

This summer, the lithium ion battery pack of the compact EV will be improved, "which puts it into a much more usable range," Ian Robertson, BMW AG board member for sales and marketing, told Automotive News at the Detroit auto show.

BMW doesn't have the exact figure yet, but a 50 percent increase means about 200 km on a single charge, up from the current 130 km (EPA).

The 2017 i3 will begin production in July of 2016 and will use Samsung 94 Ah battery cells. The 2017 i3 needs the increase in range to compete with the 2016 30 kWh Nissan Leaf with 250 km range and the upcoming Chevy Bolt, which will have a range of 300+ km.

The i3 went on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2014 and has a base price of $43,350 including shipping. A model with a range extender is also available -- with about double the range -- and starts at $47,200 including shipping. Those prices are before tax credits.

BMW sold 24,057 i3s worldwide last year, an increase of 50 percent from 2014. In the United States, BMW sold 11,024 i3s, up from 6,092 in 2014. Nearly 60 percent of those were with the range extender.

Panasonic & Bosch bid for Porsche Mission-E battery

Porsche AG has been weighing bids from Panasonic Corp. and Robert Bosch GmbH for a long-range battery as it prepares to challenge Tesla Motors Inc. with an all-electric sports car, according to people familiar with the matter.

Costs for the package offered by crosstown neighbor Bosch would be higher than the competing technology from Japanese peer Panasonic, which supplies Tesla’s batteries, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are confidential. The advantage to Bosch’s offer would be less-complex logistics.

“We’re in the final stage of making a decision,” Porsche Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume said in an interview last week at the Geneva International Motor Show. He declined to comment on the suppliers being considered.

The unit of Volkswagen AG, Europe’s largest automaker, earmarked 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to build its first battery-powered sports car in December. It’s part of the parent company’s broader push for more low-emission electric and hybrid cars. Volkswagen has sped up its electric efforts since admitting six months ago it had cheated on emissions tests for diesel cars.

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said a week ago the company, a fellow Volkswagen unit, will purchase batteries for its electric vehicles from Korean suppliers LG Chem Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co., who have plans in place to start producing battery cells in Europe.

Electric Investment

With the Volkswagen scandal throwing the long-term future of diesel into question, other carmakers are also turning anew to electric cars. Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz said last week it will invest 500 million euros to build a second battery factory in Germany because it expects demand to pick up.

Porsche’s electric sports car will be based on the low-slung Mission E concept shown at the Frankfurt auto show six months ago. Set to be produced near the automaker’s German headquarters in Stuttgart, the new model will create some 1,000 jobs.

A spokesman for Porsche referred to the brand’s annual earnings conference, scheduled Friday morning, and declined to comment beforehand. Bosch declined to comment. Yayoi Watanabe, a spokeswoman for Panasonic, declined to comment.

Daimler to invest 500 million Euros in new battery factory in Germany

Daimler will invest 500 million Euros in a new battery factory in Germany. The new battery factory will produce lithium-ion battery packs for hybrid and electric vehicles for Mercedes-Benz and smart brands.

Li-Tec, a subsidiary of the Daimler Group, ceased manufacture of battery cells in December 2015. The majority of the 280 employees were transferred to the Deutsche Accumotive—also a wholly owned Daimler subsidiary—which manufactures battery packs based on LG Chem cells.

Daimler consistently expands its activities in the area of electromobility and invests around 500 million Euros in the construction of a new battery factory. This will lead to a significant expansion of the production capacities for lithium-ion batteries of Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE located in the Saxon city of Kamenz.

The new factory will produce batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles of the brands Mercedes-Benz and smart. As a first step, the full Daimler subsidiary has purchased about 20 hectares of land adjacent to the existing battery factory.

"To get closer to fully electric driving, we keep investing big in the key component of emission-free vehicles: powerful batteries. We are now devoting another 500 million Euros to build a second battery factory in Germany. This underlines our commitment to the consistent expansion of electromobility", said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Daimler announced a initial 100 million euros investment to expand East German battery pack output in 2014.

With the growing electrification of the automobile, the demand for highly efficient lithium-ion batteries is also rising steadily. Through its entry into the new business field with stationary battery storage for private and industrial applications, Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE will tap into additional growth opportunities.

By the end of 2014, the Daimler subsidiary had already announced its plans for a significant increase in its production capacities and an investment of around 100 million Euros in the expansion of the existing battery factory. "With the purchase of the new land, our production area at the site will be tripled.

The previous 20,000 square meters will be stocked up by an additional 40,000 square meters of production space. We will expand the production capacity consistently in the coming years", said Harald Kröger, Head of Development Electrics/Electronics and e-Drive Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new factory is planned for fall 2016. The topping-out ceremony will then follow in spring 2017. The new production plant is to start operations in summer 2017.

Daimler entered into the business with stationary battery storage with Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE last year. The scalability of the systems enables the use of the lithium-ion batteries in big industry for network stabilization and smoothing of peak shaving for energy producers as well as private households, for example in conjunction with photovoltaic installations.

Mercedes-Benz energy storage units for private households can already be ordered and will soon be installed at customers in collaboration with selected sales partners. In the area of industrial applications, around 29 megawatt will be connected to the network jointly with different partners.

Samsung SDI to invest $1 Billion in EV Battery Gigafactory

In order to acquire the dominance and leadership in Chinese EV market, Samsung SDI became the first global battery manufacturer to construct an EV battery plant and initiate mass production in China, beating LG Chem who broke ground on a similar plant in China a year ago.

The Xi’an plant has initiated its operation from September. It has finalized battery supply agreements with 10 local personal and commercial vehicle companies and is already delivering the goods. Some of these companies include Yutong, the leader of China’s and also the world’s bus industry and then Foton, the leader of China’s truck industry.

The finalized Samsung SDI Xi’an Plant is a cutting-edge production line that can manufacture high-performance electric vehicle (in standard of pure EVs) batteries for an amount of approximately 40 thousand cars a year. The plant is capable of carrying out the whole production process of EV battery cells and modules. Preparing for increased market demand in the future, Samsung SDI will invest – by adding production line, etc. – 600 million USD into the Xi’an battery plant until 2020 and aim to achieve 1 billion USD in sales.

Samsung SDI CEO Cho Nam Seong said in his welcoming address, “Xi’an is a starting point of Silk Road and is also a focal point of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative.” He added, “To go hand in hand with China’s time-honored tradition and future development strategy, we will bring up Xi’an plant to become the world center of EV battery industry.”

Anqing Ring New Group Chairman Pan Yi Xin said, “By integrating our expertise in the automotive business with Samsung SDI’s advanced technical capability, we will promote Xi’an Plant as the number one production base of EV battery.”

Dyson acquires Sakti3 for $90M

Dyson, the U.K. company famous for its bagless vacuum cleaners, has acquired Michigan-based solid-state battery startup Sakti3 for $90 million and announced plans to build an important $1 billion battery factory to mass produce the next generation battery technology.

This is the second important solid-state battery technology acquisition in a short period of time – Bosch recently bought Seeo Inc. to bring their battery technology to market. Solid-state batteries are thought to be a lot safer than common li-ion cells and could have more potential for higher energy density, but we have yet to see a company capable of producing it in large-scale and at an attractive price point.

Sakti3 made the headlines last year when it announced that it had produced a solid-state battery cell with 400 Wh/kg energy density, compared to Tesla’s cells believed to be around 230 Wh/kg.

Dyson had already invested $15 million in Sakti3 before now buying the company.

Founder and CEO Ann Marie Sastry will join Dyson as an executive and lead development of her battery technology for the company. When she first unveiled her technology and was trying to attract investors, Sastry said that the company’s solid-state cells aimed at the electric vehicle industry.

Dyson says that they remain open at licensing the technology and the cells could eventually find their way into electric cars, but for now the plan is to integrate the technology into Dyson’s cordless vacuum cleaners. The company expects to start producing its systems with the new batteries within a year or two.

“If we are to continue to create new and disruptive technology we must develop more advanced core technologies,” said Dyson founder James Dyson. “We have invested nearly $310 million into the research and development of the Dyson digital motor, a technology that now powers our most successful machines. We will do the same with batteries. Sakti3 has developed a breakthrough in battery technology, and together we will make this technology a reality.”

Bosch working on 50 kWh battery packs weighing only 190 kg

Bosch is researching batteries that will make it possible to drive longer distances without recharging, and will also cost less than current batteries. “Our battery experts are playing a key part in paving the way for electromobility,” says Dr. Michael Bolle, president of the corporate sector for research and advance engineering at Robert Bosch GmbH. As early as 2020, Bosch batteries should be capable of storing twice as much energy while costing significantly less. The market forecasts are correspondingly bullish: ten years from now, Bosch expects some 15 percent of all new vehicles worldwide to have an electrical powertrain. As a result, Bosch is investing 400 million euros a year in electromobility.

Current challenge: heavy weight, low energy density

Dr. Thorsten Ochs, head of battery technology R&D at the new Bosch research campus in Renningen, explains what will be necessary for progress in battery technology: “To achieve widespread acceptance of electromobility, mid-sized vehicles need to have 50 kilowatt hours of usable energy.” With conventional lead batteries, this would mean increasing the weight of the battery to 1.9 metric tons, even without wiring and the holder. That is the same weight as a modern-day mid-sized sedan, including occupants and luggage. At a weight of 19 kilograms, a conventional lead battery – as found today in nearly every car for powering their starters – stores a comparatively low 0.5 kilowatt hours.

The goal: a weight of just 190 kilograms, recharged in 15 minutes

Today’s lithium-ion batteries are superior in this respect. They store more than three times the amount of energy per kilogram. At a weight of 230 kilograms, the battery of a modern-day electric car provides approximately 18 to 30 kilowatt hours. But to achieve the desired 50 kilowatt hours, a battery weighing 380 to 600 kilograms would be necessary. With his colleagues around the world, Ochs is therefore working on energy storage media with even better performance. Their goal: to pack 50 kilowatt hours into 190 kilograms. In addition, the researchers are looking to significantly shorten the time a car needs to recharge. “Our new batteries should be capable of being loaded to 75 percent in less than 15 minutes,” Ochs says.

Ochs and his colleagues firmly believe that improved lithium technology will make it possible to achieve these goals. “There is still a long way to go when it comes to lithium,” Ochs says. To make progress in this area, his team in Renningen is working closely with Bosch experts in Shanghai and Palo Alto. And as a further measure to advance lithium-ion battery research, Bosch has established the Lithium Energy and Power GmbH & Co. KG joint venture with GS Yuasa and the Mitsubishi Corporation.

More space for electrical power – thanks to start-up technology from Silicon Valley

In theory, the solution sounds simple: “The more lithium ions you have in a battery, the more electrons – and thus the more energy – you can store in the same space,” Ochs says. But because researchers need to improve cells at the atomic and molecular level, putting this into practice is a challenge. One of the main keys to achieving this goal is to reduce the proportion of graphite in the anode (the positively charged part of the battery), or do without graphite altogether. Using lithium instead of graphite would make it possible to store up to three times as much energy in the same space. Ochs and his colleagues have already developed many approaches for removing the graphite and replacing it with other materials. The Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner recently presented a prototype solution at the IAA. Thanks to its purchase of Seeo Inc., a start-up based in Silicon Valley, Bosch has now acquired crucial practical expertise when it comes to making innovative solid-state batteries. Such batteries have one other decisive advantage: they can do without any liquid electrolyte. Such an electrolyte is to be found in conventional lithium-ion batteries, where, in certain circumstances, it can pose a safety risk.

Advantages in a number of areas

Improved lithium-ion batteries would benefit not only drivers, but also all other applications that employ this technology, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, cordless household appliances and tools, and many more products.

Mercedes open to battery alliance with BMW and Audi

Daimler is open to the idea of creating an alliance between Germany's premium carmakers to manufacture next-generation batteries.

"There are commonalities between the German carmakers." Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said when asked whether Mercedes-Benz would consider extending an alliance formed earlier this year to buy Nokia's maps business, Here, to battery technology.

"Nokia Here led to a common approach... and there might be other areas," he told a news conference at the Frankfurt auto show, adding that any such cooperation would most likely start with the next generation of batteries.

Daimler, Volkswagen's Audi and BMW teamed up to buy Nokia Here last month for around 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) in the most significant cooperation to date between the rival premium carmakers.

Daimler are currently exiting the battery cell manufacturing business by closing subsidiary Li-Tec later this year while planning to spend 100 million euros (US$125 million) in coming years to increase production of lithium-ion battery packs in eastern Germany using cells provided by South Korean based LG Chem.

Mercedes, BMW and Audi/Volkswagen all rely on Korean battery manufactures, LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation, who between them hold 41% of global automotive battery patents for current generation battery cells.

Samsung SDI Battery Systems (SDIBS), a subsidiary formed after SDI's acquisition of Magna in May are working to strengthen the competitiveness of their European automotive battery business with a Low Pack battery designed for key customers including BMW and Audi .

Daimler CEO Zetsche suggested an alliance to manufacture next-generation battery cells which is clearly a mission critical technology for the electric vehicle industry. The battle is currently focused on solid state battery development with Volkswagen, Bosch, Samsung and General Motors all having made recent investments.

Perhaps, most noticeably, Daimler are not known to have any IP investments in this key area.