GM wins US grant to develop solid-state batteries

Lithium-ion battery cellsGeneral Motors is the latest automaker reported to be working on solid-state lithium batteries, thanks to a $2 million grant from Uncle Sam. The money is part of a larger grant to develop more fuel-efficient powertrains, the fan site GM Authority reports. The company is expected to use the rest of the money to develop a lighter-weight, more...

Report: Tesla picks LG Chem to supply batteries in China

2019 Tesla Model 3 PerformanceIn a first for the automaker, Tesla has agreed to buy batteries from Korean battery supplier LG Chem for models produced at its new Chinese factory. The news was first reported by Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the negotiations. After buying batteries from Panasonic as its exclusive supplier Tesla has been casting about for new suppliers...

Silicon wafer batteries promise lower cost, better stability

XNRGI  Powercell silicon wafer battery design (from company video)In an effort to make longer-lasting, safer, and more affordable batteries, Washington-based XNRGI aims to build lithium batteries on plentiful, off-the shelf silicon wafers. Last week, the company announced plans to bring new batteries based on its patented technology to market in 2020, in a new stationary storage battery. Most such batteries...

Automotive supplier tests immersion-cooled batteries for EVs

Immersion Cooled Battery Pack Concept for EVsThe two biggest challenges for electric cars—battery life and charge times—come down to battery cooling. Now British auto parts supplier Ricardo is working with partners to come up with a new type of cooling technology that the company hopes will allow automakers to pack more energy into cars' batteries and to charge them faster. The...

Report: EV sales will surpass gas-powered models in 2037

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars outside dealership    [photo: Patrick Reid]Sales of new electric passenger cars will surpass those of internal combustion models by 2037 according to a new report on EVs from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The report, "Electric Vehicle Outlook 2019," anticipates that 30 percent of vehicles in the world will be powered by electric motors by 2040. It forecasts that worldwide EV sales will...

Battery supply shortages may be linked to rising demand for nickel

Lithium-ion battery cellsAs automakers fret over materials and supplies of electric car batteries, it may not be lithium keeping executives up at night. A new report from Bloomberg reveals that prices for class one nickel—high purity and required in some electric car batteries—has jumped more than 35 percent since the end of 2018 on the London Metal Exchange...

Tesla announces bigger Megapack for stationary storage

Artist's rendering of Tesla Megapack grid storage installation with wind farmLast week, Tesla introduced something bigger than its Powerpack energy-storage systems: the Megapack, for large utility-scale storage installations.. Tesla says the Megapack, which stores 3 megawatt-hours of electricity, has 60 percent more energy density than the Powerpack. For grid power installations, that means companies can install fewer than...

Report: New lithium mines may bring battery prices down

Lithium SaltsAutomakers continue to express concerns over the supply of raw materials for electric-car batteries. A Bloomberg report suggests that might not be the reality at all. Enough new lithium supplies are coming online that mining companies are concerned about a price collapse. While automakers are preparing a raft of new electric models, they can't...

Hyundai Kona Electric explodes in Montreal garage

2019 Hyundai Kona ElectricThe explosion of a 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric in a Montreal, Canada, garage Saturday literally blew the doors off. The owner, Piero Cosantino, told the CBC the car was not even plugged in at the time of the explosion. The report was the first in North America, and possibly the first report in the world, of a Kona Electric explosion or fire. No one...

Toyota expands battery supply with CATL deal

2017 Toyota Prius Prime test drive, Ojai, California, Sep 2016As it gradually moves to begin selling more plug-in and electric cars, Toyota is widening its net to secure more batteries. Japan's largest automaker signed a deal this week to buy batteries from Chinese suppliers Contemporary Amex Technologies (CATL) and BYD. The agreement adds to a January deal Toyota signed to buy batteries from Panasonic. All...