In this episode, we discuss the game-changing journey of two MIT alumni who are revolutionizing industry energy use practices by introducing a remarkable thermal battery solution to make sustainable energy feasible at a commercial scale.

Podcast: How Thermal Batteries Will Scale Sustainable Energy

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1672821999265000&usg=AOvVaw3lLKdHdEN0YvCEsaHI7hx9" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/71c64ea7-9cf5-4c31-a369-98c56ae03dc8?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>This article was first published on <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2023/alumnus-thermal-battery-antora-energy-0818" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="isPasted">MIT News</a>. &nbsp;<hr>The explosion of renewable energy projects around the globe is leading to a saturation problem. As more renewable power contributes to the grid, the value of electricity is plummeting during the times of day when wind and solar hit peak productivity. The problem is limiting renewable energy investments in some of the sunniest and windiest places in the world.Now Antora Energy, co-founded by David Bierman SM &rsquo;14, PhD &rsquo;17, is addressing the intermittent nature of wind and solar with a low-cost, highly efficient thermal battery that stores electricity as heat to allow manufacturers and other energy-hungry businesses to eliminate their use of fossil fuels.&ldquo;We take electricity when it&rsquo;s cheapest, meaning when wind gusts are strongest and the sun is shining brightest,&rdquo; Bierman explains. &ldquo;We run that electricity through a resistive heater to drive up the temperature of a very inexpensive material &mdash; we use carbon blocks, which are extremely stable, produced at incredible scales, and are some of the cheapest materials on Earth. When you need to pull energy from the battery, you open a large shutter to extract thermal radiation, which is used to generate process heat or power using our thermophotovoltaic, or TPV, technology. The end result is a zero-carbon, flexible, combined heat and power system for industry.&rdquo;Antora&rsquo;s battery could dramatically expand the application of renewable energy by enabling its use in industry, a sector of the U.S. economy that <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks" target="_blank">accounted for</a> nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.Antora says it is able to deliver on the long-sought promise of heat-to-power TPV technology because it has achieved new levels of <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/pdf/S2542-4351(22)00483-4.pdf" target="_blank" data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">efficiency</a> and scalability with its cells. Earlier this year, Antora opened a new manufacturing facility that will be capable of producing 2 megawatts of its TPV cells each year &mdash; which the company says makes it the largest TPV production facility in the world.Antora&rsquo;s thermal battery manufacturing facilities and demonstration unit are located in sun-soaked California, where renewables make up close to a third of all electricity. But Antora&rsquo;s team says its technology holds promise in other regions as increasingly large renewable projects connect to grids across the globe.&ldquo;We see places today [with high renewables] as a sign of where things are going,&rdquo; Bierman says. &ldquo;If you look at the tailwinds we have in the renewable industry, there&rsquo;s a sense of inevitability about solar and wind, which will need to be deployed at incredible scales to avoid a climate catastrophe. We&rsquo;ll see terawatts and terawatts of new additions of these renewables, so what you see today in California or Texas or Kansas, with significant periods of renewable overproduction, is just the tip of the iceberg.&rdquo;Bierman has been working on thermal energy storage and thermophotovoltaics since his time at MIT, and Antora&rsquo;s ties to MIT are especially strong because its progress is the result of two MIT startups becoming one.<h2>Alumni join forces</h2>Bierman did his masters and doctoral work in MIT&rsquo;s Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he worked on solid-state solar thermal energy conversion systems. In 2016, while taking course 15.366 (Climate and Energy Ventures), he met Jordan Kearns SM &rsquo;17, then a graduate student in the Technology and Policy Program and the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. The two were studying renewable energy when they began to think about the intermittent nature of wind and solar as an opportunity rather than a problem.&ldquo;There are already places in the U.S. where we have more wind and solar at times than we know what to do with,&rdquo; Kearns says. &ldquo;That is an opportunity for not only emissions reductions but also for reducing energy costs. What&rsquo;s the application? I don&rsquo;t think the overproduction of energy was being talked about as much as the intermittency problem.&rdquo;Kearns did research through the MIT Energy Initiative and the researchers received support from MIT&rsquo;s Venture Mentoring Service and the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund to further explore ways to capitalize on fluctuating power prices.Kearns officially founded a company called Medley Thermal in 2017 to help companies that use natural gas switch to energy produced by renewables when the price was right. To accomplish that, he combined an off-the-shelf electric boiler with novel control software so the companies could switch energy sources seamlessly from fossil fuel to electricity at especially windy or sunny times. Medley went on to become a finalist for the MIT Clean Energy Prize, and Kearns wanted Bierman to join him as a co-founder, but Bierman had received a fellowship to commercialize a thermal energy storage solution and decided to pursue that after graduation.The split ended up working out for both alumni. In the ensuing years, Kearns led Medley Thermal through a number of projects in which gradually larger companies switched from relying on natural gas or propane sources to renewable electricity from the grid. The work culminated in an installment at the Jay Peak resort in Vermont that Kearns says is one of the largest projects in the U.S. using renewable energy to produce heat. The project is expected to reduce about 2,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year.Bierman, meanwhile, further developed a thermal energy storage solution for industrial decarbonization, which works by using renewable electricity to heat blocks of carbon, which are stored in insulation to retain energy for long periods of time. The heat from those blocks can then be used to deliver electricity or heat to customers, at temperatures that can exceed 1,500 C. When Antora raised a $50 million Series A funding round last year, Bierman asked Kearns if he could buy out Medley&rsquo;s team, and the researchers finally became co-workers.&ldquo;Antora and Medley Thermal have a similar value prop: There&rsquo;s low-cost electricity, and we want to connect that to the industrial sector,&rdquo; Kearns explains. &ldquo;But whereas Medley used renewables on an as-available basis, and then when the winds stop we went back to burning fossil fuel with a boiler, Antora has a thermal battery that takes in the electricity, converts it to heat, but also stores it as heat so even when the wind stops blowing we have a reservoir of heat that we can continue to pull from to make steam or power or whatever the facility needs. So, we can now further reduce energy costs by offsetting more fuel and offer a 100 percent clean energy solution.&rdquo;<h2>United we scale</h2>Today, Kearns runs the project development arm of Antora.&ldquo;There are other, much larger projects in the pipeline,&rdquo; Kearns says. &ldquo;The Jay Peak project is about 3 megawatts of power, but some of the ones we&rsquo;re working on now are 30, 60 megawatt projects. Those are more industrial focused, and they&rsquo;re located in places where we have a strong industrial base and an abundance of renewables, everywhere from Texas to Kansas to the Dakotas &mdash; that heart of the country that our team lovingly calls the Wind Belt.&rdquo;Antora&rsquo;s future projects will be with companies in the chemicals, mining, food and beverage, and oil and gas industries. Some of those projects are expected to come online as early as 2025. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The company&rsquo;s scaling strategy is centered on the inexpensive production process for its batteries.&ldquo;We constantly ask ourselves, &lsquo;What is the best product we can make here?&rsquo;&rdquo; Bierman says. &ldquo;We landed on a compact, containerized, modular system that gets shipped to sites and is easily integrated into industrial processes. It means we don&rsquo;t have huge construction projects, timelines, and budget overruns. Instead, it&rsquo;s all about scaling up the factory that builds these thermal batteries and just churning them out.&rdquo;It was a winding journey for Kearns and Bierman, but they now believe they&rsquo;re positioned to help huge companies become carbon-free while promoting the growth of the solar and wind industries.&ldquo;The more I dig into this, the more shocked I am at how important a piece of the decarbonization puzzle this is today,&rdquo; Bierman says. &ldquo;The need has become super real since we first started talking about this in 2016. The economic opportunity has grown, but more importantly the awareness from industries that they need to decarbonize is totally different. Antora can help with that, so we&rsquo;re scaling up as rapidly as possible to meet the demand we see in the market.&rdquo;<hr>&quot;Reprinted with permission of <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2023/alumnus-thermal-battery-antora-energy-0818" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="isPasted">MIT News</a>&quot; &nbsp;

Antora Energy is addressing the intermittent nature of wind and solar with a low-cost, highly efficient thermal battery that stores electricity as heat to allow manufacturers and other energy-hungry businesses to eliminate their use of fossil fuels. Image: MIT News with figures from iStock

Antora Energy, co-founded by David Bierman SM ’14, PhD ’17, is commercializing a thermal battery that lets manufacturers use renewable energy around the clock.

Thermal battery helps industry eliminate fossil fuels

A good battery needs two things: high energy density to power devices, and stability, so it can be safely and reliably recharged thousands of times. For the past three decades, lithium-ion batteries have reigned supreme &mdash; proving their performance in smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles.But battery researchers have begun to approach the limits of lithium-ion. As next-generation long-range vehicles and electric aircraft start to arrive on the market, the search for safer, cheaper, and more powerful battery systems that can outperform lithium-ion is ramping up.A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, led by <a href="https://www.me.gatech.edu/faculty/mcdowell-1" target="_blank">Matthew McDowell</a>, associate professor in the <a href="https://www.me.gatech.edu/" target="_blank">George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering</a> and the <a href="https://www.mse.gatech.edu/" target="_blank">School of Materials Science and Engineering</a>, is using aluminum foil to create batteries with higher energy density and greater stability. The team&rsquo;s new battery system, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39685-x" target="_blank">detailed in Nature Communications</a>, could enable electric vehicles to run longer on a single charge and would be cheaper to manufacture &mdash; all while having a positive impact on the environment.&ldquo;We are always looking for batteries with higher energy density, which would enable electric vehicles to drive for longer distances on a charge,&rdquo; McDowell said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s interesting that we can use aluminum as a battery material, because it&rsquo;s cost-effective, highly recyclable, and easy to work with.&rdquo;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1689922055043-23-R5001-P10-001.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Ph.D. student Yuhgene Liu, associate professor Matthew McDowell, and postdoctoral researcher Congcheng Wang in McDowell&#39;s lab at Georgia Tech.&nbsp;The idea of making batteries with aluminum isn&rsquo;t new. Researchers investigated its potential in the 1970s, but it didn&rsquo;t work well.When used in a conventional lithium-ion battery, aluminum fractures and fails within a few charge-discharge cycles, due to expansion and contraction as lithium travels in and out of the material. Developers concluded that aluminum wasn&rsquo;t a viable battery material, and the idea was largely abandoned.Now, solid-state batteries have entered the picture. While lithium-ion batteries contain a flammable liquid that can lead to fires, solid-state batteries contain a solid material that&#39;s not flammable and, therefore, likely safer. Solid-state batteries also enable the integration of new high-performance active materials, as shown in this research.The project began as a collaboration between the Georgia Tech team and Novelis, a leading manufacturer of aluminum and the world&rsquo;s largest aluminum recycler, as part of the Novelis Innovation Hub at Georgia Tech. The research team knew that aluminum would have energy, cost, and manufacturing benefits when used as a material in the battery&rsquo;s anode &mdash; the negatively charged side of the battery that stores lithium to create energy &mdash; but pure aluminum foils were failing rapidly when tested in batteries.The team decided to take a different approach. Instead of using pure aluminum in the foils, they added small amounts of other materials to the aluminum to create foils with particular &ldquo;microstructures,&rdquo; or arrangements of different materials. They tested over 100 different materials to understand how they would behave in batteries.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1689922114383-ezgif-4-6f37edc290.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A solid-state battery built in McDowell&rsquo;s laboratory.&nbsp;&ldquo;We needed to incorporate a material that would address aluminum&rsquo;s fundamental issues as a battery anode,&rdquo; said Yuhgene Liu, a Ph.D. student in McDowell&rsquo;s lab and first author on the paper. &ldquo;Our new aluminum foil anode demonstrated markedly improved performance and stability when implemented in solid-state batteries, as opposed to conventional lithium-ion batteries.&rdquo;&nbsp;The team observed that the aluminum anode could store more lithium than conventional anode materials, and therefore more energy. In the end, they had created high energy density batteries that could potentially outperform lithium-ion batteries.&ldquo;One of the benefits of our aluminum anode that we&#39;re excited about is that it enables performance improvements, but it also can be very cost-effective,&rdquo; McDowell said. &ldquo;On top of that, when using a foil directly as a battery component, we actually remove a lot of the manufacturing steps that would normally be required to produce a battery material.&rdquo;Short-range electric aircraft are in development by several companies, but the limiting factor is batteries. Today&rsquo;s batteries do not hold enough energy to power aircraft to fly distances greater than 150 miles or so. New battery chemistries are needed, and the McDowell team&rsquo;s aluminum anode batteries could open the door to more powerful battery technologies.&ldquo;The initial success of these aluminum foil anodes presents a new direction for discovering other potential battery materials,&rdquo; Liu said. &quot;This hopefully opens pathways for reimagining a more energy-optimized and cost-effective battery cell architecture.&rdquo;The team is currently working to scale up the size of the batteries to understand how size influences the aluminum&rsquo;s behavior. The group is also actively exploring other materials and microstructures with the goal of creating very cheap foils for battery systems.&ldquo;This is a story about a material that was known about for a long time, but was largely abandoned early on in battery development,&rdquo; McDowell said. &ldquo;But with new knowledge, combined with a new technology &mdash; the solid-state battery &mdash; we&#39;ve figured out how we can rejuvenate the idea and achieve really promising performance.&rdquo;<hr>Citation: Liu, Y., Wang, C., Yoon, S.G. et al. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39685-x" target="_blank">Aluminum foil negative electrodes with multiphase microstructure for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries</a>. Nat Commun 14, 3975 (2023).DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39685-x" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39685-x</a>Photography: Rob Felt

Graduate student researcher Yuhgene Liu holds an aluminum material for solid-state batteries.

The team’s new battery system could enable electric vehicles to run longer on a single charge and would be cheaper to manufacture — all while having a positive impact on the environment.

Aluminum Materials Show Promising Performance for Safer, Cheaper, More Powerful Batteries

Deep dive into understanding the fundamentals of flow cell 

Flow Cell Technology: A Comprehensive Guide

Get ready to have your worldview shaken to the core.Battery technology is still in its infancy. Electric car batteries underperform and are a potential hazard. As the number of batteries used increases exponentially, it is only a matter of statistics and time before we see more of them bursting into flames in electric vehicles (EV) and e-bikes. Yet, the EV trend will not only continue, but future growth will also be explosive (pardon the pun).Oh, and by the way, only the paranoid survive.These could be interpreted as the rantings of a technophobe. Except LionVolt CEO Karl McGoldrick has spent decades inventing the future, and he&rsquo;s busy now developing the&nbsp;next generation of battery technology here at High Tech Campus Eindhoven.We like his odds.That&rsquo;s because McGoldrick has been at the ramparts of multiple tech revolutions. His first startup used Dutch technology to put a camera in your smartphone, which was here at HTC 27 while he worked at Philips.Now, after an illustrious corporate career and multiple startups, he&rsquo;s back in HTC 27 as CEO of the next-generation 3D solid state battery company LionVolt.This explains in part his take on current battery technology. McGoldrick compares the batteries in everything from Teslas to 14,000 euro Turbo Levo e-bikes and finds them wanting.In a recent interview on Campus, he compared today&rsquo;s lithium-ion batteries to the first days of the Internet with slow dial-up connections: &ldquo;You opened the connection, it made all these noises, then you went out for a cup of coffee while your page loaded. That&rsquo;s where the battery is today. Yeah &hellip; you only get 300, 400 kilometers in range, it takes hours to charge etc., etc.&rdquo;This native of Ireland is vocal about how he sees no future for the electrification of the auto industry based on the current battery technology &ndash; even though manufacturers and suppliers are building Giga factories all over the world. Those factories are, by their nature and materials used, hardly environmentally friendly. &ldquo;So, all this talk about, you know, saving the planet by having an electric vehicle is far from true today.&rdquo;Fortunately, McGoldrick is working on that. His LionVolt startup, a spinout of TNO/Holst Center, is developing a 3D solid state battery architecture to replace the current lithium-ion battery format. The technology involves layering ultra-thin materials in a 3D structure. The physics are, well, complicated, but McGoldrick says the battery is lighter, charges far faster and more sustainably than current lithium-ion batteries &hellip; and doesn&rsquo;t explode. Which is a good thing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1687533186948-Screenshot+2023-06-19+at+2.24.47+PM.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In March 2020, McGoldrick founded LionVolt with Sandeep Unikrishnaan, who had researched high-performance batteries at Holst Center on Campus. Since then, LionVolt&rsquo;s trajectory has been straight up, raising more than five million euros so far. &ldquo;When we started, the company was just the two of us,&rdquo; McGoldrick. &ldquo;And in 2021, we raised our first capital. Now, there are 16 amazing people in the company. If somebody asked me today, you know, &lsquo;What is your greatest pride?&rsquo; it wouldn&rsquo;t actually be our technology performance. It is the fact that this team has evolved so quickly while developing a passion for what we do.&rdquo;His team, he says, is working non-stop. &ldquo;Even this morning they were saying to me, &lsquo;You know, maybe we should start earlier.&rsquo; And one of them asked me, &lsquo;Should we put beds in (the LionVolt offices)?&rsquo; &rdquo;That American startup mindset &ndash; rare in the Netherlands &ndash; has been the norm for McGoldrick for most of his career. He started at the Intel fab in New Mexico, and he was Employee No. 1 at Intel&rsquo;s Ireland operation. McGoldrick had dinner once or twice with the admired/feared Intel legend Andy Grove. &ldquo;The guy who cracked the whip to turn Intel into the number one semiconductor company in the world,&rdquo; as McGoldrick puts it.And a guy who changed the world.McGoldrick&rsquo;s business approach comes out of his conversations with the late Intel CEO in which Grove&nbsp;expounded on the concept of an &ldquo;inflection point.&rdquo; &ldquo;And he wrote a book, which I would advise anybody in the tech industry to read. It&rsquo;s called &lsquo;Only the Paranoid Survive.&rsquo; &rdquo;The rest of the world is all about being positive and thinking big, whereas Grove&rsquo;s philosophy was, be wary. Be very wary, be paranoid and react, McGoldrick said. And that crucial moment to react is the inflection point &ndash; a moment in time which will determine what happens in the future.&nbsp;&ldquo;If you recognize it and you respond to it, it will be a positive inflection point. If you miss it, it will be negative and the company will go down.&rdquo; After 15 startups, McGoldrick says, he knows Grove was correct. &ldquo;In every startup, there are crucial moments to the success of the startup. And if you miss that, then you will die.&rdquo;McGoldrick is so influenced by Grove that he named one of his companies &ldquo;Innflect, and it comes from talking to him.&rdquo;At one point, Intel sent McGoldrick to its headquarters in Santa Clara in Silicon Valley, and while he was there, he says he got &ndash; his term &ndash; &ldquo;besotted&rdquo; with the whole startup world.&nbsp;After Intel, Philips headhunted McGoldrick to come back for the start of Philips Semiconductors, now NXP. But once he got a taste of the startup world in The Valley, there was no going back: &ldquo;This is where my heart and soul is. I want to be a starter.&rdquo;That was to come. One added cameras in smartphones and another developed flexible displays where that IP is now in Samsung Fold phones &ndash; all in HTC 27.&ldquo;That started right here in this building. I can&rsquo;t believe I&rsquo;m back in it,&rdquo; McGoldrick said.&ldquo;As I got older, I started drifting away from just liking sexy technology to wanting to do something that makes a difference,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;While I was at TNO helping with a spin-out, I saw the technology behind (LionVolt). So, here&rsquo;s where we get into your question of why am I doing this &hellip;&rdquo;If you look at the auto industry today, all the headlines are about electric vehicles, McGoldrick says. The reality is that EVs are only about three percent of the total automotive market. Electric cars get publicity not because of the percentage of the market they have today, but because of the size of the market they&rsquo;re going to capture in the future, driven also by the EU and other countries planning to ban internal combustion engines, he adds.&ldquo;So, all of a sudden, the world knows, electric vehicles are the future; it&rsquo;s going to be explosive. Now, they&rsquo;re going to be &ndash; excuse my pun &ndash; because that&rsquo;s exactly the problem. It really is going to be explosive.&rdquo;Today, the world uses wet lithium-ion batteries, yet the word &ldquo;wet&rdquo; is often omitted, McGoldrick said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s exactly what they are. There&rsquo;s a liquid (electrolyte) in there which makes them (potentially) flammable and explosive.&rdquo;The media, recently including the New York Times, has reported with increasingly regularity how lithium-ion batteries pose a fire hazard both in cars and electric bikes.With the failure rate being one in millions, he acknowledges that today the events are scarce. &ldquo;So, people argue with me that &lsquo;Hey, you know, your point is not valid.&rsquo; But it&rsquo;s only a question of time, as the (adoption) curve increases, it becomes statistically impossible for it not to start happening.&rdquo;As LionVolt technology advances, McGoldrick wants to enter every industry, from automotive to aircraft to wearables.So, Karl McGoldrick is &ndash; as usual &ndash; at the inflection point, ready to seize the opportunity. Somewhere up in tech heaven, Andy Grove is smiling.

Battery technology is still in its infancy. Electric car batteries underperform and are a potential hazard. As the number of batteries used increases exponentially, it is only a matter of statistics and time before we see more of them bursting into flames in electric vehicles (EV) and e-bikes. Yet, the EV trend will not only continue, but future growth will also be explosive (pardon the pun).

LionVolt has the technology that will replace current lithium-ion batteries

New research at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is the first to show that a solid-state electrolyte has a high level of similarity to liquid electrolytes, which is good news for designing safer and more efficient solid-state batteries based on reliable mechanistic knowledge.&ldquo;Our results reveal surprising similarities between the liquid and the solid electrolytes, and that allows us to borrow some ideas from the successful liquid electrolytes to help our design of the solid electrolytes,&rdquo; said Peng Bai, assistant professor of energy, environmental &amp; chemical engineering. &ldquo;Before our work, solid electrolytes, at least the ceramic ones we studied here, are considered distinctly different from their liquid counterparts.&rdquo;Batteries power so much of our lives, so finding new improvements will have a drastic societal impact, Bai said. A promising route is the development of a full solid-state battery. A key component is the electrolyte in the center of the battery which allows ion movement between the electrodes. Here, the traditionally used liquid electrolyte is replaced with a solid and coupled to a metal electrode. This not only boosts the amount of energy stored but also leads to a potentially safer battery. However, an increasing number of reports about solid-state batteries tell a story of a key barrier, known as the critical current density (CCD), beyond which small tree-like structures called dendrites grow, resulting in battery failure. These reported CCDs are relatively low, which hinders fast charging and compromises further development of solid-state batteries.&ldquo;The CCD of solid-state electrolytes is a mystery. We are working to reveal why it exists, what its true physics are, and how it changes under different operating conditions,&rdquo; said Bai, the principal investigator of this project and corresponding author of the paper published in&nbsp;ACS Energy Letters on April 12, 2023.&ldquo;Our discovery shows that the magnitude of CCD is linked to the thickness of the solid electrolyte, similar to the limiting current in liquid electrolytes that are well-known to have thickness dependence,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you can make the solid electrolyte thin enough, we can get away from this CCD issue, therefore avoiding dendrite growths and the internal short-circuiting.&rdquo;Experimental innovations involved in this study include taking a standard pellet, a small circular disc fully densified by controlled sintering of ceramic powders, and precisely cutting it into multiple smaller pieces. The pieces were then tested using an electroanalytical technique different from those commonly used.&ldquo;These child samples from the same mother pellet were almost identical,&rdquo; Bai said. &ldquo;Testing hundreds of these ideally consistent miniature samples made the results we obtained more reliable and the statistics more meaningful.&rdquo;Rajeev Gopal, a doctoral student in Bai&rsquo;s lab and first author of the paper, said this study can be a real difference-maker.&ldquo;Our work can shed light on the mysterious phenomenon of dendrite initiation at the CCD. The statistical trends we unveiled here will help predict and ultimately mitigate this type of growth, increasing the feasibility of these electrolytes in real-world batteries,&rdquo; Gopal said.<hr>Gopal R, Wu L, Lee Y, Gua J, Bai P. Transient Polarization and Dendrite Initiation Dynamics in Ceramic Electrolytes. ACS Energy Letters, April 12, 2023, DOI:&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00499" target="_blank">10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00499.</a>

Ceramic solid electrolyte cells (vertical rectangular shapes) with dendrites (the lightning-like dark structures inside the rectangles) growing inside them from the bottom to the top. These solid electrolytes are floating on a liquid (blue puddle) which represents a liquid electrolyte. The reflections of the solid electrolytes in the blue liquid, particularly the dark dendrites, show the similarity in the dendrite initiation process in both the liquid and solid. (Credit: Rajeev Gopal, Bai lab)

New research at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is the first to show that a solid-state electrolyte has a high level of similarity to liquid electrolytes, which is good news for designing safer and more efficient solid-state batteries based on reliable mechanistic knowledge.

New study shows similarity between solid state and liquid state electrolytes used in batteries

The world needs cheap and powerful batteries that can store sustainably produced electricity from wind or sunlight so that we can use it whenever we need it, even when it&#39;s dark outside or there&#39;s no wind blowing. Most common batteries that power our smartphones and electric cars are lithium-ion batteries. These are quite expensive because worldwide demand for lithium is soaring, and these batteries are also highly flammable.Water-based Zinc batteries offer a promising alternative to these lithium-ion batteries. An international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich has now devised a strategy that brings key advances to the development of such zinc batteries, making them more powerful, safer and more environmentally friendly.<h2>Durability is a challenge</h2>There is a number of advantages to Zinc batteries: Zinc is abundant, cheap and has mature recycling infrastructure. Furthermore, zinc batteries can store a lot of electricity. &nbsp;Most importantly, zinc batteries don&rsquo;t necessarily require the use of highly flammable organic solvents as the electrolyte fluid, as they can also be made using water-based electrolytes instead.If only there weren&rsquo;t challenges that engineers must face with when developing these batteries: when zinc batteries are charged at high voltage, the water in electrolyte fluid reacts on one of the electrodes to form hydrogen gas. When this happens, the electrolyte fluid dwindles and battery performance decreases. Furthermore, this reaction causes excess pressure to build up in the battery that can be dangerous. Another issue is formation of spikey deposits of Zinc during charging of the battery, known as dendrites, that can pierce through the battery and in the worst case even cause short circuit and render the battery unusable.<h2>Salts make batteries toxic</h2>In recent years, engineers have pursued the strategy of enriching the aqueous liquid electrolyte with salts in order to keep the water content as low as possible. But there are also disadvantages to this: It makes the electrolyte fluid viscous, which slows down the charging and discharging processes considerably. In addition, many of the salts used contain fluorine, making them toxic and harmful to the environment.Maria Lukatskaya, Professor of Electrochemical Energy Systems at ETH Zurich, has now joined forces with colleagues from several research institutions in the United States and Switzerland to systematically search for the ideal salt concentration for water-based zinc-ion batteries. Using experiments supported by computer simulations, the researchers were able to reveal that the ideal salt concentration is not, as was previously assumed, the highest one possible, but a relatively low one: five to ten water molecules per salt&rsquo;s positive ion.<h2>Long-lasting performance and fast charging</h2>What&rsquo;s more, the researchers didn&rsquo;t use any environmentally harmful salts for their improvements, opting instead for environmentally friendly salts of acetic acid, called acetates. &ldquo;With an ideal concentration of acetates, we were able to minimise electrolyte depletion and prevent Zinc dendrites just as well as other scientists previously did with high concentrations of toxic salts,&rdquo; says Dario Gomez Vazquez, a doctoral student in Lukatskaya&rsquo;s group and lead author of the study. &ldquo;Moreover, with our approach, the batteries can be charged and discharged much faster.&rdquo;So far, the ETH researchers have tested their new battery strategy on a relatively small laboratory scale. The next step will be to scale up the approach and see if it can also be translated for large batteries. Ideally, these might one day be used as storage units in the power grid to compensate for fluctuations, say, or in the basements of single-family homes to allow solar power produced during the day to be used in the evening. There are still some challenges to overcome before zinc batteries will be ready for the market, as ETH Professor Lukatskaya explains: batteries consist of two electrodes &ndash; the anode and the cathode &ndash; and the electrolyte fluid between them. &ldquo;We showed that by tuning electrolyte composition efficient charging of Zinc anodes can be enabled,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Going forward, however, performance cathode materials will have to be optimised as well to realize durable and efficient zinc batteries.&rdquo;<hr><h2 id="isPasted">Reference</h2><a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ADario%20Gomez%20Vazquez" target="_blank">external pageGomez Vazquezcall_made</a> D, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ATravis%20P.%20Pollard" target="_blank">external pagePollardcall_made</a> TP, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AJulian%20Mars" target="_blank">external pageMarscall_made</a> J, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AJi%20Mun%20Yoo" target="_blank">external pageYoocall_made</a> JM, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AHans-Georg%20Steinr%C3%BCck" target="_blank">external pageSteinr&uuml;ckcall_made</a> HG, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ASharon%20E.%20Bone" target="_blank">external pageBonecall_made</a> SE, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AOlga%20V.%20Safonova" target="_blank">external pageSafonovacall_made</a> OV, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AMichael%20F.%20Toney" target="_blank">external pageToneycall_made</a> MF, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AOleg%20Borodin" target="_blank">external pageBorodincall_made</a> O, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AMaria%20R.%20Lukatskaya" target="_blank">external pageLukatskayacall_made</a> MR: Creating water-in-salt-like environment using coordinating anions in non-concentrated aqueous electrolytes for efficient Zn batteries. Energy &amp; Environmental Science, 13 March 2023, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EE00205E" target="_blank">external page10.1039/D3EE00205E</a>

Zinc batteries are considered promising alternatives to lithium-​ion batteries. (Visualisations: ETH Zurich / Xin Zou)

It is not easy to make batteries cheap, efficient, durable, safe and environmentally friendly at the same time. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now succeeded in uniting all of these characteristics in zinc metal batteries.

Progress in alternative battery technology

Geothermal energy not only enables a sustainable supply of electricity and heat, but also regional lithium production.&nbsp;Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and EnBW have produced a lithium-ion sieve from a lithium-manganese oxide and used it to adsorb lithium from geothermal brines.&nbsp;In the future, the use of domestic lithium sources can help to meet the increasing demand for the light metal, which is indispensable as an energy storage material.&nbsp;The researchers reported in the journal&nbsp;Energy Advances , which now recognizes the work as one of the &quot;Outstanding Papers 2022&quot;.&nbsp;(DOI:&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/YA/D2YA00099G" target="_blank">10.1039/d2ya00099g</a> )&nbsp;A sustainable energy supply requires efficient energy storage. Lithium has become indispensable - the light metal is in the batteries of many technical devices and vehicles, from smartphones and notebooks to electric cars. In recent years, demand has risen sharply worldwide. Up until now, Europe has been dependent on imports. However, there are also European deposits for lithium, namely thermal waters at a depth of a few kilometers. They contain high concentrations of lithium ions. In this way, geothermal systems, which pump hot water from the depths, can not only be used for the sustainable supply of electricity and heat, but also for environmentally friendly regional lithium production.&nbsp;<h2>High lithium concentrations in the North German Basin and in the Upper Rhine Graben&nbsp;</h2>&quot;Depending on the geological origin, geothermal brines contain between 0.1 and 500 milligrams of lithium per liter,&quot; explains Professor Helmut Ehrenberg, head of the Institute for Applied Materials - Energy Storage Systems (IAM-ESS) at KIT. Lithium concentrations of up to 240 milligrams per liter were measured in the North German Basin, and up to 200 milligrams per liter in the Upper Rhine Graben. &quot;However, the extraction of lithium from geothermal brines represents a major challenge because the lithium ions compete with many other ions,&quot; explains Ehrenberg.&nbsp;&nbsp; A promising way of extracting lithium from hot deep water is adsorption, i.e. the accumulation of lithium ions on the surface of porous solids. This requires suitable adsorbents that are not only lithium-selective but can also be produced, used and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner, as well as suitable desorption solutions to release the lithium ions from the adsorbent again. Researchers from the IAM-ESS of the KIT, together with the Research &amp; Development department of EnBW Energie Baden-W&uuml;rttemberg AG and scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT and Hydrosion GmbH, have produced a lithium-ion sieve and tested it in the laboratory. They report on this in the journal Energy Advances.&nbsp;<h2>Lithium-ion sieve with a special crystal structure&nbsp;</h2>The lithium-ion sieve presented is based on a lithium-manganese oxide with a special crystal structure known as spinel. The researchers produced it using hydrothermal synthesis, in which substances crystallize from aqueous solutions at high temperatures and pressures. In laboratory tests, the research team used this substance to adsorb lithium ions from geothermal brine. The brine comes from the Bruchsal geothermal plant operated by EnBW, which is located between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg in the Upper Rhine Graben. There, the Research &amp; Development department of EnBW is investigating lithium production from thermal water in various projects.&nbsp; &nbsp; For the work published in Energy Advances, the researchers tested various desorption solutions after the adsorption of lithium, with acetic acid giving the best results in terms of lithium recovery and adsorbent preservation. However, with all tested desorption solutions, especially with acetic acid, the lithium-ion sieve was enriched with competing ions. This is due to the high mineral content of the brine in Bruchsal. Enrichment with competing ions can decrease the lithium adsorption capacity.&nbsp; &nbsp; Further research now faces the challenges of further developing the lithium-ion sieve in such a way that it is easier to handle and its adsorption capacity is only slightly affected in the process, as well as scaling up the process from laboratory to pilot scale.&nbsp;Then lithium extraction from geothermal brines can support the development of a European lithium supply in the future.<hr>Original publication (Open Access)&nbsp; Laura Herrmann, Helmut Ehrenberg, Magdalena Graczyk-Zajac, Elif Kaymakci, Thomas K&ouml;lbel, Lena K&ouml;lbel and Jens T&uuml;bke: Lithium recovery from geothermal brine &ndash; an investigation into the desorption of lithium ions using manganese oxide adsorbents. Energy Advances, 2022. DOI: 10.1039/d2ya00099g&nbsp;

A look into the laboratory: An adsorbent based on a lithium-manganese oxide with a special crystal structure serves as a lithium-ion sieve. (Photo: Dr. Monika Bäuerle, IAM-ESS/KIT)

Researchers from KIT and EnBW show lithium-ion sieve for geothermal brines - Lithium recovery can supplement power generation and heat supply

Energy Storage Materials: Lithium from Hot Deep Water

Recovering up to 70 percent of the lithium from battery waste without the need for corrosive chemicals, high temperatures or prior sorting of the materials: This is made possible by a recycling process developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) that combines mechanical processes and chemical reactions. The method allows a wide variety of lithium-ion batteries to be recycled in a cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. The researchers report in the journal Nature Communications Chemistry ( <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-023-00844-2" target="_blank">DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00844-2</a> )&nbsp;Lithium-ion batteries permeate our everyday life: They not only supply notebooks and smartphones, toys, remote controls and other small devices with wireless power, but also act as the most important energy storage medium for the rapidly growing electromobility. The increasing use of these batteries calls for economically and ecologically sustainable recycling methods. Today, mainly nickel and cobalt, copper and aluminum as well as steel are recovered and recycled from battery waste. The recovery of lithium is currently still expensive and not very profitable. The available, mostly metallurgical processes consume a lot of energy and/or leave behind harmful by-products. In contrast, approaches in mechanochemistry, which use mechanical processes to bring about chemical reactions, promise&nbsp;<h2>Suitable for different cathode materials</h2>Such a method has now been developed by the Institute for Applied Materials - Energy Storage Systems (IAM-ESS) of KIT together with the Helmholtz Institute Ulm for Electrochemical Energy Storage (HIU) founded by KIT in cooperation with the University of Ulm and EnBW Energie Baden-W&uuml;rttemberg AG . In the journal Nature Communications Chemistrythe researchers present their method.&nbsp;You can achieve a recovery rate of up to 70 percent for the lithium without the need for corrosive chemicals, high temperatures or prior sorting of the materials.&nbsp;&quot;The process is suitable for recovering lithium from cathode materials with different chemical compositions and is therefore suitable for many different commercially available lithium-ion batteries,&quot; explains Dr.&nbsp;Oleksandr Dolotko from the IAM-ESS of the KIT and from the HIU, main author of the publication.&nbsp;&quot;It allows for cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly recycling.&quot;<h2>Reaction takes place at room temperature&nbsp;</h2>For their process, the researchers use aluminum as a reducing agent in the mechanochemical reaction. Since aluminum is already contained in the cathode, the process does not require any additional substances. How it works: The battery waste is first ground up. Then they are used in a reaction with aluminum to create metallic composites with water-soluble lithium compounds. The lithium is then recovered by dissolving the water-soluble compounds in water and then heating to remove the water through evaporation. Since the mechanochemical reaction takes place at ambient temperature and pressure, the process is particularly energy-efficient. Another advantage is the simple process, which will facilitate use on an industrial scale.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1680261956042-2023_015_Batterierecycling+70+Prozent+des+Lithiums+zurueckgewonnen_2_72dpi.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The more batteries there are for recycling, the more important sustainable recycling processes for the recyclable materials they contain become. (Photo: Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT)&nbsp;<hr>Original publication (Open Access)&nbsp;Oleksandr Dolotko, Niclas Gehrke, Triantafillia Malliaridou, Raphael Sieweck, Laura Herrmann, Bettina Hunzinger, Michael Knapp &amp; Helmut Ehrenberg: Universal and efficient extraction of lithium for lithium-ion battery recycling using mechanochemistry. Communications Chemistry, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00844-2&nbsp;

dr Oleksandr Dolotko, lead author of the publication, conducts research at the IAM-ESS Institute and the HIU. (Photo: Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT)

KIT researchers develop inexpensive and environmentally friendly mechanochemical recycling process - publication in Nature Communications Chemistry

Battery recycling: 70 percent of the lithium recovered

Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is an important intermediate product in the manufacture of many chemical starter materials such as ammonia, methanol and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels. &quot;Syngas is currently made almost exclusively using fossil raw materials,&quot; says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.professoren.tum.de/en/fischer-roland-a" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Prof. Roland Fischer</a> from the Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry.A yellow powder, developed by a research team led by Fischer, is to change all that. The scientists were inspired by photosynthesis, the process plants use to produce chemical energy from light. &quot;Nature needs carbon dioxide and water for photosynthesis,&quot; says Fischer. The nanomaterial developed by the researchers imitates the properties of the enzymes involved in photosynthesis. The &quot;nanozyme&quot; produces syngas using carbon dioxide, water and light in a similar manner.<a target="_blank"></a><header><h2>Record values for efficiency</h2></header>Dr. Philip Stanley, who addressed the topic as part of his doctoral thesis, explains: &quot;A molecule takes over the task of an energy antenna, analogous to a chlorophyll molecule in plants. Light is received and the electrons are passed on to a reaction center, the catalyst.&quot; The innovative aspect of the researchers&#39; system: There are now two reaction centers which are linked to the antenna. One of these centers converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, while the other turns water into hydrogen. The major design challenge was to arrange the antenna, the mechanism for passing on the electrons and the two catalysts, in such a way that the highest possible yield is achieved from the light.And the team accomplished this. &quot;At 36 percent, our energy yield from light is spectacularly high,&quot; says Stanley. &quot;We succeed in converting as much as one third of the photons into chemical energy. Previous systems often attained every tenth photon at best. This result raises hopes that the technical realization could make industrial chemical processes more sustainable.&quot;<a target="_blank"></a><header><h2>Photo accumulator to store charges</h2></header>In a separate project the researchers are working on another material which uses light energy from the sun &ndash; but in this case stores it as electric energy. &quot;One possible future application could be batteries which are charged by sunlight, without the detour through the wall socket,&quot; says Fischer.The researchers used components similar to those in the nanozyme when developing these photo accumulators. Here too the material itself absorbs photons from the incident light. But instead of then serving as a catalyst for a chemical reaction, the energy receiver is so tightly integrated in the structure that it remains in this state, making storage of the electrons over a longer period of time possible. The researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of the system in the lab.&quot;There are two ways to make direct use of solar energy,&quot; summarizes Dr. Julien Warnan, group leader for photocatalysis. &quot;Either we harvest electric energy from it or we use the energy to push chemical reactions. And these two systems, both based on the same principle, show that we&#39;ve succeeded experimentally.&quot;<hr>Publications<ul><li>Stanley, P. M., Su, A. Y., Ramm, V., Fink, P., Kimna, C., Lieleg, O., Elsner, M., Lercher, J. A., Rieger, B., Warnan, J., Fischer, R. A., Photocatalytic CO2-to-Syngas Evolution with Molecular Catalyst Metal-Organic Framework Nanozymes. Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2207380.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202207380" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202207380</a></li><li>Stanley, P. M., Sixt, F., Warnan, J., Decoupled Solar Energy Storage and Dark Photocatalysis in a 3D Metal&ndash;Organic Framework. Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2207280.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202207280" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202207280</a></li><li>Stanley, P.M., Haimerl, J., Shustova, N.B., Fischer, R. A., Warnan, J., Merging molecular catalysts and metal&ndash;organic frameworks for photocatalytic fuel production. Nat. Chem. 2022, 14, 1342&ndash;1356.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01093-x" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01093-x</a></li></ul>

Generating energy from light: The newly developed "nanozyme," a yellow powder, mimics the properties of enzymes involved in photosynthesis.

Plants use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight. Now researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have applied this principle as the basis for developing new sustainable processes which in the future may produce syngas (synthetic gas) for the large-scale chemical industry and be able to charge batteries.

Smart light traps

For several years now, energy storage in salt batteries has been advertised as an environmentally friendly concept that can help accelerate the heat transition. However, product development has only truly hit its stride since recently, says Jelle Houben, PhD candidate at TU/e. He investigated how to improve materials in order to increase the battery&rsquo;s energy storage capacity, and recently developed a salt battery &ndash; in collaboration with spin-off Cellcius &ndash; that will be used for real-world tests in residential homes.&nbsp;If it were up to mechanical engineer Jelle Houben, every household in the near future will have a device the size of a large refrigerator filled with salt tablets. The energy stored in this device can be used to heat our homes, and when the battery is empty, it can be recharged using renewable energy. An environmentally-friendly solution that can help create a natural gas-free built environment.<h2>Patent</h2>Ever since his graduation project, Houben has been working on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aXALl8gYik&t=59s" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">finding ways to make the salt battery applicable</a>. The new closed-loop system he developed with Pim Donkers some time ago, and on which he took out a patent, is currently being further developed by TU/e spin-off Cellcius. As part of his graduation research, Houben set up home temporarily at the department of Applied Physics to improve the chemical reaction in the salt battery. He will defend his thesis on Thursday, March the 9th.Houben uses a schematic diagram to explain how the salt battery works exactly. &ldquo;The renewable energy supply comes in peaks and troughs. If you want to have enough energy during periods when there&rsquo;s isn&rsquo;t much wind or sunlight, storage is essential. Our salt battery is a form of thermochemical energy storage, where two separate components respond to one another. In this case, salt and water. When the water vapor is carried to the salt, the salt absorbs the water molecules in its crystal lattice. This hydration response creates water that can heat in a boiler. The other way around, heat can be stored via the reversed reaction during which water is released from the salt.&rdquo;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678838013168-csm_Houben+Research+image_0291ddcd1b.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The salt battery consists of four components linked in a closed system. Illustration: Jelle Houben.&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">Dopants for a better battery</h2>Colleagues of Houben found out earlier that in order to make a salt battery more stable and affordable, and to improve its capacity for loss-free energy storage, the best option is to add calcium carbonate. Subsequently, Houben tested several techniques in the lab in order to improve the salt&rsquo;s performance, which would increase the rate at which the battery is able to charge and discharge. That is why his thesis contains a large chapter in which he describes these various methods. &ldquo;I find it very interesting to gain knowledge across several fields; I don&rsquo;t focus exclusively on details. By carrying out various experiments, by building and changing various test setups, and by thinking out of the box now and then, we ended up with a unique system.&rdquo;Houben demonstrates that it is possible to accelerate the salt battery&rsquo;s response speed by adding certain additives, also known as &lsquo;dopants&rsquo; in the field. &ldquo;Cesium carbonate is a very effective addition, but its disadvantage is that it&rsquo;s a very expensive salt. That is why we tested a variety of organic salts, such as potassium acetate, which is widely available and not as expensive. The results are promising, we&rsquo;ve managed to improve the battery in a stable fashion at powder level. However, we will use salt tablets in a solid form for the actual system, which is why we will need to do some more follow-up research.&rdquo;<h2>Bill Gates climate fund</h2>In parallel with the continuing developments on a fundamental level, the first practical studies are now starting to take place. Houben&rsquo;s employer &ndash; he has been working for the aforementioned TU/e spin-off Cellcius for over a year now &ndash; recently placed a salt battery in a residential home, in collaboration with the Eindhoven housing corporation Trudo. These pilots are part of the EU project Heat-Insyde. &ldquo;We are currently setting up a salt battery for a pilot project in France, and another one is heading to Poland. This allows us to test our energy storage system in different climate circumstances.&rdquo;Apart from the battery intended for home use, Houben is also working on a transportable battery that can heat an entire neighborhood. This battery will provide some fifty homes with heat and will be transported to local industry every week to be recharged with residual heat. &ldquo;The test system is operational and is located at the TU/e campus. Now we can start to upscale; we&rsquo;re still looking for a test location where we can conduct extensive real-world tests. This complete picture, knowledge of salt, the system and the actual application is unique. And that view is shared by many. Bill Gates&rsquo; Climate fund recently granted us financial support to conduct further research into our salt battery and to develop it. It&rsquo;s great that we&rsquo;ve managed to set this up in Eindhoven and to be able contribute to the energy transition this way.&rdquo;Title of PhD thesis: <a href="https://research.tue.nl/en/publications/accelerating-thermochemical-energy-storage-by-doping" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Accelerating Thermochemical Energy Storage by Doping</a>. Supervisors: Olaf Adan, Yukitaka Kato (external), and Henk Huinink.Source: <a href="https://www.cursor.tue.nl/en/news/2023/maart/week-2/home-stretch-salt-battery-for-home-use/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Cursor</a>.<hr>This article was first published here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/13-03-2023-salt-battery-for-home-use" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/13-03-2023-salt-battery-for-home-use</a>

For several years now, energy storage in salt batteries has been advertised as an environmentally friendly concept that can help accelerate the heat transition. However, product development has only truly hit its stride since recently, says Jelle Houben, PhD candidate at TU/e. 

Salt battery for home use

Lithium-ion batteries have become an integral part of our everyday life.&nbsp;They only work with a passivation layer that forms on the electrodes during the first charging process.&nbsp;As researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now determined using simulations, this solid-electrolyte interface does not form directly at the electrode, but rather grows out of the solvent.&nbsp;The scientists report on their study in the journal&nbsp;Advanced Energy Materials (&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aenm.202203966" target="_blank">DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202203966</a> ).&nbsp;Their findings make it possible to optimize the performance and service life of future batteries.From smartphones to electric cars &ndash; lithium-ion batteries are used almost everywhere where mobile power supply is required.&nbsp;The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is crucial for the reliable operation of these and other liquid electrolyte batteries.&nbsp;This passivation layer forms when a voltage is first applied.&nbsp;The electrolyte is decomposed in the immediate vicinity of the surface.&nbsp;It was previously unclear how the components of the electrolyte can form a stable layer up to 100 nanometers thick on the surface of the electrodes when the decomposition reaction is only possible within a few nanometers of the surface.The passivation layer on the anode surface plays a key role in determining the electrochemical performance and service life of a lithium-ion battery, because it is heavily stressed in every charging and discharging cycle.&nbsp;If the SEI breaks open, the electrolyte is further decomposed and the capacity of the battery steadily decreases - a process that determines the life of the battery.&nbsp;With the appropriate knowledge about the growth and composition of the SEI, battery properties can be specifically adapted.&nbsp;So far, however, neither experimental nor computer-aided approaches have succeeded in decoding these complex growth processes, which take place on very different sizes and length scales.<h2>Study within the EU initiative BATTERY 2030+</h2>Researchers at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) of the KIT have now managed to characterize the formation of the SEI with a multi-scale approach.&nbsp;&quot;We have thus solved one of the great mysteries of the most important interface in liquid electrolyte batteries - also in lithium-ion batteries, as we all use them every day,&quot; says Professor Wolfgang Wenzel, head of the &quot;Multiscale Materials Modeling and Virtual Design&quot; research group INT.&nbsp;The Karlsruhe researchers report on their findings in the journal&nbsp;Advanced Energy Materials .&nbsp;The research group is involved in the large-scale European research initiative BATTERY 2030+, which aims for safe, affordable, long-lasting and sustainable high-performance batteries for the future.<h2>More than 50 000 simulations for different reaction conditions</h2>To study the growth and composition of the passivation layer on the anode of liquid-electrolyte batteries, researchers at INT created a set of more than 50,000 simulations representing different reaction conditions.&nbsp;They found that the formation of the organic SEI occurs via a solution-mediated pathway: first, SEI precursors formed directly on the surface, far from the electrode surface, self-assemble via nucleation.&nbsp;The nuclei then grow so quickly that a porous layer forms, which finally covers the electrode surface.&nbsp;This finding explains the paradoxical situation that the SEI can only form near the surface where electrons are available,&nbsp;but without the observed mechanism would stop growing immediately when this small area near the electrode is filled.&nbsp;&quot;We have identified those reaction parameters that determine the thickness of the passivation layer,&quot; explains Dr.&nbsp;Saibal Jana, postdoc at INT and one of the authors of the study.&nbsp;&quot;In the future, this will make it possible to develop electrolytes and suitable additives to control the properties of the SEI and thus improve the performance and lifetime of the batteries.&quot;&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aenm.202203966" target="_blank">Original publication (Open Access)</a> Meysam Esmaeilpour, Saibal Jana, Hongjiao Li, Mohammad Soleymanibrojeni, and Wolfgang Wenzel: A Solution-Mediated Pathway for the Growth of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase in Lithium-Ion Batteries. Advanced Energy Materials, 2023. DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202203966&nbsp;

KIT researchers have characterized the formation of the solid-electrolyte interface with the help of simulations. (Collage: Christine Heinrich)

KIT researchers characterize the chemical processes at the electrodes of lithium-ion batteries by means of simulations

Batteries: Major Mystery of the Passivation Layer Solved

The batteries of the future will have to satisfy high expectations: They will have to be lighter and perform better, have longer service lives, be safer and also less error-prone. Scientists around the world are pursuing these objectives using solid-state technologies: Solid-state batteries contain no liquid, in contrast to traditional rechargeable batteries in which lithium ions move through a liquid electrolyte from the anode to the cathode and back again. In contrast, the electrolyte in solid-state batteries is a solid substance which can neither leak nor burn. In addition, this solid electrolyte helps reduce the battery weight, making it theoretically an ideal alternative.&quot;But in practice the solid-state electrolytes available up to now, mostly oxidic ceramics or compounds based on sulfur, have proven unable to completely meet expectations,&quot; says Prof. Thomas F&auml;ssler of the TUM Professorship for Inorganic Chemistry with Focus on New Materials. Together with his team and in close cooperation with TUMint&middot;Energy Research GmbH, he is looking for more efficient electrolytes: &quot;The problem is that lithium ions only diffuse slowly through solid materials. Our objective was to better understand ion transport and then to use this knowledge to increase conductivity.&quot;<a target="_blank"></a><header><h2>A light powder shows promise</h2></header>The result of their efforts is a crystalline powder which is an above-average conductor of lithium ions. It contains no sulfur, but rather phosphorus, aluminum and a comparatively high proportion of lithium. Laboratory measurements have shown that this previously overlooked substance class has a high level of conductivity. Within a very short period of time the chemists successfully created about a dozen new, related compounds, which contain for example silicon or tin instead of aluminum. This broad new material basis makes it possible to quickly optimize material properties.And why are these materials such good ion conductors? &quot;In order to answer this question, the processes which take place inside the crystals have to be rendered visible,&quot; F&auml;ssler explains. &quot;But that&#39;s not possible with normal laboratory equipment, because the lithium atoms are very light. As a result they can&#39;t be localized exactly using X-ray radiation.&ldquo;<a target="_blank"></a><header><h2>Greater detail with neutron beams</h2></header>The solution: neutron beams. &quot;The neutrons we have from the research reactor make it possible to find even the lightest of atoms. This is because the neutrons interact with the nuclei of the atoms and not with the atomic shell, as is the case with X-ray radiation,&quot; says Dr. Anatoliy Senyshyn, who supervises the powder diffractometer at the FRM II, which was used to analyze the new electrolyte material: &quot;In the past we had already investigated a variety of members of the new and diverse family of solid lithium ion conductors. We can use the neutron diffraction to visualize how the ions use free space in the crystal lattice to move.&quot; In the new substance class these free spaces are arranged in such a way that the ions can move equally well in all directions. This is a result of the high degree of symmetry found in the crystals and is probably the cause of the &quot;superionic lithium conductivity&quot; which the TUM team has now been able to observe.The synthesized powders are thus highly promising electrolyte candidates for future solid-state batteries, says F&auml;ssler: &quot;Our basic research has the potential to accelerate the development of higher-performance batteries.&quot;<hr><h3 id="isPasted">Publications</h3>Tassilo M. F. Restle, Stefan Strangm&uuml;ller, Volodymyr Baran, Anatoliy Senyshyn, Holger Kirchhain, Wilhelm Klein, Samuel Merk, David M&uuml;ller, Tobias Kutsch, Leo van W&uuml;llen, Thomas F. F&auml;ssler: Super-Ionic Conductivity in &omega;-Li9TrP4 (Tr= Al, Ga, In) and Lithium Diffusion Pathways in Li9AlP4 Polymorphs, Advanced Functional Materials, 7. September 2022 <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202112377" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.202112377</a>

Dr. Anatoliy Senyshyn at the SPODI powder diffractometer at FRM II.

A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered a material class with above-average conductivity. This is a decisive step forward in the development of high-performance solid-state batteries. Investigations conducted at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) made an essential contribution to the discovery.

Solid-state battery: New material class with excellent ion conductivity

This is the sixth article in an 8-part series featuring articles on Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles. The series presents an insight into the developments and challenges in the automotive sector as it undergoes massive transformations with the arrival of electric and self-driving vehicles. This series is sponsored by Mouser Electronics. Through the sponsorship, Mouser Electronics shares its passion for technologies that enable smarter and connected applications.The cost of Li-ion, the leading electric vehicle (EV) battery chemistry technology, will soon settle at a mature market value due to market dominance.[1] With that, there is an opportunity for alternate chemistry innovation to gain a share of the battery segment. One such chemistry, solid-state batteries, is poised to emerge as the leading chemistry for EV batteries.In this article, we present a comparison between the commonly used Li-ion batteries and the (relatively) new solid-state batteries for EVs. We also analyze some barriers preventing the mass adoption of the new battery technology.<h1 dir="ltr">Li-ion vs. Solid-State Electrolytes for Battery Electric Vehicles</h1>Li-ion is still leading the market for liquid-state electrolytes. But Li-ion is not without challenges: The chemistry carries higher costs as skyrocketing demand outstrips supply. In addition, there is an opportunity to improve the top safety concern of flammable liquid catching fire. Safety is one of the most critical success criteria for EVs to inspire public confidence, so the industry and safety regulators are searching for how to reduce the flammability risk.Solid-state batteries (using lithium metal as one of its elements) address the most pressing safety challenges of Li-ion. They are more stable and contain a higher energy density than Li-ion. In addition, solid-state comes from readily available materials, which reduces the need to mine. It also offers lower flammability, faster charging, and extended range.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc2MTMzMzE1MDgzLTE2NzYxMzMzMTUwODMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="720" height="288" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig. 1: Li-ion vs. Solid State BatteriesBarriers to the Wide-Scale Adoption of Solid-state Electrolytes for Electric VehiclesWith the advantages of safety, charge time, performance, and availability, solid-state is the future of EV batteries. However, there remain a few barriers to wide-scale adoption for battery developers.&nbsp;First, solid-state batteries will carry a higher development cost due to a lack of existing capital to produce mass quantities.There are also gaps in the solid lithium electrolyte material that degrade battery performance and service life when implemented into Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).&nbsp;In addition, solid-state batteries are prone to cracking, and it is best to charge them at 60&deg;C for optimal performance.Solid-state EV batteries are not yet mass-produced. As with any development material, optimizing the manufacturing process to scale profitably is essential. As a result, manufacturing challenges through the lack of experience with solid electrolyte materials would substantially delay wide-scale adoption. In addition, these challenges could shut down the EV battery plant, negatively impacting the public&#39;s first interaction with the new battery chemistry.To address development costs, automakers could vertically integrate to cut development costs and decrease supply risks, creating resiliency between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the face of supply shortages. Their goal is to find a better solution for Li-ion batteries while reducing solid-state manufacturing costs.Having said that, OEMs are already shifting development to solid-state, given all their benefits. Adoption has already started: Toyota announced it will invest $13.5 billion by 2030 into solid-state batteries, and a group including Volkswagen, Ford, and BMW announced solid-state initiatives in the coming years.[2]<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Solid-state batteries address the flammability safety concerns with liquid-state batteries, charge faster, and provide a more extended driving range. Commissioning the capital and ramping supply of the batteries will aid the transition from liquid- to solid-state, preparing EVs for long-term success and massive consumer adoption.This article is based on an e-book by Mouser Electronics. It has been substantially edited by the Wevolver team and Electrical Engineer <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/ravi.rao" target="_blank">Ravi Y Rao</a>. It&#39;s the sixth article from the Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series. Future articles will introduce readers to some more trends and technologies transforming the automotive sector.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/innovations-in-electric-and-autonomous-vehicles" target="_blank">introductory article</a>&nbsp;presented the different topics covered in the Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/autonomous-and-electric-vehicles-the-future-of-mobility/" target="_blank">first article</a>&nbsp;discussed the present state of autonomous vehicles.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/cutting-down-emissions-with-mobility-as-a-service/" target="_blank">second article</a>&nbsp;explains MaaS and how improvements in automotive technologies are speeding up its adoption.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/a-deep-dive-into-the-new-v2x-and-cellular-v2x-architectures-based-on-5g/" target="_blank">third article</a>&nbsp;takes a look at how the 3GPP intends to use 5G in V2X applications with significant advantages over current dedicated short-range communication or other Cellular-V2X proposals.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/driver-monitoring-systems-for-ensuring-driver-alertness/" target="_blank">fourth article</a>&nbsp;explains Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and their role in reducing the possibility of mishaps due to human errorsThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-state-of-electric-vehicles-in-2023-trends-in-the-development-and-adoption-of-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">fifth article</a>&nbsp;examines some of the ways EV technologies will evolve, and some of the obstacles they need to overcome before the automotive industry can transition to fully electricThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solid-state-vs-li-ion-which-battery-tech-is-better-for-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">sixth article</a>&nbsp;discusses solid-state batteries, a promising alternative to conventional Li-ion batteriesThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/active-noise-cancellation-in-electric-and-autonomous-vehicles/" target="_blank">seventh article</a>&nbsp;explains active noise cancellation and why it&rsquo;s a very effective solution for eliminating noises in automobilesThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/next-generation-vehicles-need-safe-human-machine-interfaces/" target="_blank">final article</a>&nbsp;focuses on Human Machine Interfaces, the sleek and stylish dashboards that are changing the way we interact with cars<h1 dir="ltr">About the sponsor: Mouser Electronics</h1>Mouser Electronics is a worldwide leading authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components for over 1,200 manufacturer brands. They specialize in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design engineers and buyers. Their extensive product offering includes semiconductors, interconnects, passives, and electromechanical components.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc2MTMzMzM3OTk1LWltYWdlMi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1>[1] David L. Chandler, &lsquo;The reasons behind lithium-ion batteries&rsquo; rapid cost decline&rsquo;, MIT News, 22nd November 2021, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2021/lithium-ion-battery-cost-1122" target="_blank">https://news.mit.edu/2021/lithium-ion-battery-cost-1122</a>[2] Tim Kelly, &lsquo;Toyota to spend $13.5 bln to develop electric vehicle battery tech by 2030&rsquo;, Reuters, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-spend-over-135-bln-ev-batteries-by-2030-2021-09-07/" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-spend-over-135-bln-ev-batteries-by-2030-2021-09-07/</a>

Article #6 of Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series: Getting the capital equipment in place and ramping up the supply of batteries will help transition the market from liquid- to solid-state. Industry and consumers will both benefit.

Solid-State vs. Li-ion: Which Battery Tech is better for Electric Vehicles?

This is the fifth article in an 8-part series featuring articles on Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles. The series presents an insight into the developments and challenges in the automotive sector as it undergoes massive transformations with the arrival of electric and self-driving vehicles. This series is sponsored by Mouser Electronics. Through the sponsorship, Mouser Electronics shares its passion for technologies that enable smarter and connected applications.Electric vehicles are supposed to be the wave of the future&mdash;but is the future already here? Even though overall automobile sales were down in the last three years due to the pandemic and the ensuing chip shortage, EV sales are rising. One hundred twenty billion dollars was spent globally on EVs in 2020[1], more than double what was spent in 2019, and over 6 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) were sold in 2021 worldwide, nearly twice as many as the previous year.[2] In a depressed automotive market overall, China more than doubled its EV sales of the prior year. Environmental protection, consumer demand, and governmental regulations spur the proliferation of EVs.&nbsp;Some forecasts predict that global EV sales might increase by a factor of 10 in the next decade alone.[1] Almost every major EV manufacturer has announced plans to ramp up production in the coming months and years. EVs&#39; biggest remaining questions are simple: How long before sales overtake standard internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales, and what factors are supporting&mdash;or working against&mdash;that transition?&nbsp;This article will examine some of the ways EV technology will evolve soon, and some of the obstacles EV tech needs to overcome before the automotive industry can complete the transition to fully electric.<h1 dir="ltr">Batteries/Smart Charging</h1>Lithium-ion batteries have been the standard in EVs since 2015, but the technology is constantly evolving. Some EV developers are experimenting with the internal chemistry of EV batteries to decrease their reliance on some of the rare materials that lithium batteries rely on, like nickel and cobalt. Lithium ferro-phosphate batteries have exhibited significant potential and are being touted by some of the largest EV manufacturers as the next iteration of EV battery tech.&nbsp;Batteries that combine lithium and sodium are also in development to deliver reliable performance in cold temperatures that negatively affect lithium battery packs. Solid-state batteries are being developed for improved stability, although insufficient energy density is still a hurdle for solid electrolyte tech. The next article from this series shall cover this topic in depth.Carbon-based batteries are in development as well, but they are still in the early stages and haven&#39;t been scaled up from small vehicles and E-bikes to meet the needs of an EV yet. While most current EV battery packs are encased in aluminum due to their light weight and malleability, some manufacturers are experimenting with enclosures made from composite materials to reduce weight and improve overall safety (damaged lithium batteries have been documented to catch fire in certain EV models).As EVs proliferate, the capacity to charge them must grow to meet the demand. While EVs currently make up just a little less than 1% of the automobiles in the world, what happens when that number climbs into the double digits? Can our electrical grids support such an enormous drain on their resources? Smart charging stations can help mitigate that drain by varying their charging load according to the time of day.&nbsp;Smart charging stations can be hard to find outside of major metropolitan areas. Still, they provide the capability to move car charging to off-peak hours through either user-managed charging (UMC) or supplier-managed charging (SMC). SMC charging determines when to charge the battery based on several factors, including local energy consumption and the relative strain being put on the grid. When the drain on the grid is low (e.g., overnight), SMC chargers increase the charging load and then decrease it again in the morning.&nbsp;In the case of UMC, the charger will charge the battery based on relative energy pricing at the time through a time-of-use tariff. If they so choose, the user can pay more to charge their EV during peak hours rather than waiting until the off-peak. SMC charging will also factor in energy pricing and the SoC of other EVs charging on the same grid to distribute energy optimally. Some estimates project the EV charging market to exceed $200 billion by 2030.[3]&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Barriers to Electric Vehicle Adoption</h1>Despite robust EV sales and projections, there are still significant impediments to globally transitioning from gasoline to electricity. Battery charging times are still a significant factor in EV proliferation; it can take up to eight hours to charge a 60 kWh battery using a Level 2 (240 volt) charging station, the type of charger most commonly found in private homes. DC fast-charging stations can deliver about 80% state of charge (SoC) in 30&ndash;45 minutes, but they can be hard to find, and most people probably won&rsquo;t be able to have one installed in their home due to cost or municipal regulations. In more expansive, less developed areas, much more charging infrastructure will need to be in place before EVs compete with gasoline-powered automobiles. If EVs are going to outnumber ICE automobiles on the roads, battery charging time and convenience may be the most significant determining factor. &nbsp;The ongoing evolution of battery pack technology is indicative of another significant obstacle; the availability of the raw materials EV batteries are made from. Cobalt, in particular, is in short supply worldwide. If EVs sales meet high expectations in the next decade, EV battery packs will likely need to transition away from technology that requires such rare materials.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4MzkxNjIxNTgyLXNodXR0ZXJzdG9ja18yMjE3NDkyOTE3LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" width="720" height="465" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig. 1: Transparent View Electric SUV EV battery and drive trainBatteries and improved battery technology won&rsquo;t just be a key factor in EV sales alone; many approaches to building out the required infrastructure for energy distribution to support significantly more EVs on the road also require many electrical energy storage stations. Like gas stations, the electrical versions will have large banks of batteries that store energy for use in a building complex, in parking lots, in neighborhoods, and near shopping or dining locations. These facilities won&#39;t be tied to the traditional energy grid when coupled with solar power collectors. They could be deployed as modular, self-sufficient facilities, perhaps replacing many existing gas stations with electrical facilities.Such a massive build-out of new battery technology would have different requirements than EV batteries. Properties such as weight, charging time, and energy density probably won&rsquo;t be as important&mdash;cost, reliability, and battery lifetime will be more essential factors. Using the same critical materials that EV batteries require could be a significant barrier to building the necessary infrastructure. Alternatives to the critical EV materials, such as nickel and cobalt, will have to work in these less restrictive requirements. This would overcome this key barrier. Perhaps carbon-based batteries coupled with improved solar efficiency will overcome an obstacle to broader EV deployment and help build out the infrastructure necessary to make solar power more useful around the clock.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Investment and Incentives</h1>Local, state, and federal governments worldwide have created a variety of regulations and incentives to accelerate EV adoption. One of the most popular forms of incentives is through a tax credit: Consumers that purchase an EV are eligible for a variable credit (usually four figures) against their taxes that fiscal year. The size of the credit varies by location, but EV tax credits are already in place in parts of the U.S., Europe, and Asia, though some expired at the end of 2020.&nbsp;In China, EVs aren&#39;t subject to the same kind of pollution-based driving restrictions as fossil-fuel-powered automobiles; unlike ICE cars, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) can be driven at any time. Some European countries have made EVs exempt from local import and value-added taxes, giving EVs access to special bus and carpool/commuter lanes and giving discounts on public parking and ferry trips. Factoring in these incentives, the cost of owning an EV in certain European countries can be equal to the cost of owning a similar-sized ICE vehicle.&nbsp;New Zealand uses a combination of a rebate on the purchase of an EV and fees on carbon emissions, nicknamed &quot;the feebate,&quot; to incentivize its citizens to buy electric.[4] The rising price of gasoline could further provide incentive for car buyers to go electric.&nbsp;There have also been legislative efforts worldwide to increase investment in charging infrastructure. The United Kingdom passed a law in 2019 mandating that all petrol stations have a smart charging station by 2025. In the U.S., lawmakers passed a $7.5 billion charging infrastructure bill designed to close some of the more significant geographic gaps in charging capability across the country, making long road trips in EVs more feasible.[5] In several countries, laws have also been passed requiring all new commercial and office building construction developments to include charging stations.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4MzkxNzE1NDE2LWV2Z28tc3RhdGlvbi1iYWtlcl8xNTQweDcwMC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" width="720" height="480" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Fig. 2: Fast charging station for EVs in Cupertino, CA, USA<h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Although it&rsquo;s hard to say for sure, some estimates put the total number of EVs (both BEVs and PHEVs) currently on the road worldwide at between 3 million and 4 million. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects that number to balloon to as much as 125 million by 2030, mainly due to more EV-friendly policies and regulatory environments around the globe.[6] In China and Europe, credits and subsidies, restrictive emissions standards, and fossil-fuel taxes are expected to make EVs approximately 25% of all automobiles sold in those markets by 2030.&nbsp;EV batteries will need to charge more quickly and less frequently for these expectations to become a reality and charging infrastructure will have to be further developed. EV manufacturers will have to be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of different EV types relative to geography&mdash;BEVs sell better in denser, more urban environments where charging stations are easier to find. At the same time, PHEVs are more prevalent in more rural, less populated locations.&nbsp;Distinguishing between the different needs of BEV and PHEV buyers will mean tailoring EV battery technology to specific requirements, i.e., sacrificing size and weight for greater energy density and longer battery life in PHEVs. Although EV battery technology is currently relatively homogenous across the spectrum of models and manufacturers, the future will be more diffuse. Different battery and charging tech forms will be required for different environments, and competition between developers to deliver faster charging times and longer battery life will mean good things for the consumer.&nbsp;This article is based on an e-book by Mouser Electronics. It has been substantially edited by the Wevolver team and Electrical Engineer <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/ravi.rao" target="_blank">Ravi Y Rao</a>. It&#39;s the fifth article from the Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series. Future articles will introduce readers to some more trends and technologies transforming the automotive sector.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/innovations-in-electric-and-autonomous-vehicles" target="_blank">introductory article</a>&nbsp;presented the different topics covered in the Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/autonomous-and-electric-vehicles-the-future-of-mobility/" target="_blank">first article</a>&nbsp;discussed the present state of autonomous vehicles.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/cutting-down-emissions-with-mobility-as-a-service/" target="_blank">second article</a>&nbsp;explains MaaS and how improvements in automotive technologies are speeding up its adoption.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/a-deep-dive-into-the-new-v2x-and-cellular-v2x-architectures-based-on-5g/" target="_blank">third article</a>&nbsp;takes a look at how the 3GPP intends to use 5G in V2X applications with significant advantages over current dedicated short-range communication or other Cellular-V2X proposals.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/driver-monitoring-systems-for-ensuring-driver-alertness/" target="_blank">fourth article</a>&nbsp;explains Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and their role in reducing the possibility of mishaps due to human errorsThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-state-of-electric-vehicles-in-2023-trends-in-the-development-and-adoption-of-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">fifth article</a>&nbsp;examines some of the ways EV technologies will evolve, and some of the obstacles they need to overcome before the automotive industry can transition to fully electricThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solid-state-vs-li-ion-which-battery-tech-is-better-for-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank">sixth article</a>&nbsp;discusses solid-state batteries, a promising alternative to conventional Li-ion batteriesThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/active-noise-cancellation-in-electric-and-autonomous-vehicles/" target="_blank">seventh article</a>&nbsp;explains active noise cancellation and why it&rsquo;s a very effective solution for eliminating noises in automobilesThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/next-generation-vehicles-need-safe-human-machine-interfaces/" target="_blank">final article</a>&nbsp;focuses on Human Machine Interfaces, the sleek and stylish dashboards that are changing the way we interact with cars<h2 dir="ltr">About the sponsor: Mouser Electronics</h2>Mouser Electronics is a worldwide leading authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components for over 1,200 manufacturer brands. They specialize in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design engineers and buyers. Their extensive product offering includes semiconductors, interconnects, passives, and electromechanical components.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc2MTMyOTE5NDQ5LTE2NzYxMzI5MTk0NDkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="720" height="91" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><h1 dir="ltr">References</h1>[1] Global EV Outlook 2021, International Energy Agency, April 2021, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021" target="_blank">https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021</a>[2] Global electric car sales have continued their strong growth in 2022 after breaking records last year, International Energy Agency, 23rd May 2020, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://www.iea.org/news/global-electric-car-sales-have-continued-their-strong-growth-in-2022-after-breaking-records-last-year" target="_blank">https://www.iea.org/news/global-electric-car-sales-have-continued-their-strong-growth-in-2022-after-breaking-records-last-year</a>[3] Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Market Size, Share &amp; Trends Analysis Report By Charger Type, By Connector, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030, Grand View Research [Online], Available from: &nbsp;<a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-vehicle-charger-and-charging-station-market" target="_blank">https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-vehicle-charger-and-charging-station-market</a>[4] NZ Herald, &#39;Feebate&#39; - The Government&#39;s Reverse Robin Hood Scheme, The New Zealand Initiative, 27th Sep. 2021, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/opinion/feebate/" target="_blank">https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/opinion/feebate/</a>[5] Briefing Room, FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Proposes New Standards for National Electric Vehicle Charging Network, The White House, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/09/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-new-standards-for-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network/" target="_blank">https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/09/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-new-standards-for-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network/</a>[6] Tom DiChristopher, &lsquo;Electric vehicles will grow from 3 million to 125 million by 2030, International Energy Agency forecasts&rsquo;, CNBC, 30th May 2018, [Online], Available from:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/30/electric-vehicles-will-grow-from-3-million-to-125-million-by-2030-iea.html" target="_blank">https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/30/electric-vehicles-will-grow-from-3-million-to-125-million-by-2030-iea.html</a>

Article #5 of Innovations in Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Series: EV batteries and chargers evolve, and as traditional auto sales dropped, EV sales continued to rise over the past years. What will this mean for investors and consumers? Where is the tech taking us and what stands in the way?