Battery

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Modular batteries

In optimising modular battery technologies, it’s important to harmonise design and control. By Peter Donaldson. Modular battery systems remain an essential component of e-mobility, offering unique advantages that complement recent advancements in cell-to-pack (C-t-P) technologies.

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Aluminium busbar process cuts costs and weight

brandgroup, a medium-sized, German company, is to develop and manufacture innovative and efficient springs, spring assemblies and wire-forming parts using a process for the manufacturing of aluminium busbars with high-cross sections up to 300 mm2 in the automotive charging path to cut weight and cost, writes Peter Donaldson.

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Halving the time it takes to roll out battery packs with IONETIC’s Arc

Ionetic has developed a system of software, hardware and manufacturing technologies to simplify the development of battery packs, writes Nick Flaherty. OEMs needing 100 to 10,000 battery packs a year are faced with a difficult choice: expensive, time-consuming, highly bespoke battery packs or low-performance, off-the-shelf systems.

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E-bikes gain BMS based on 100 V Gan devices

Innoscience Technology has launched a battery management system (BMS) based on 100 V gallium nitride (GaN) devices for electric three-wheelers and e-bikes, writes Nick Flaherty. The VGaN devices are connected by a common drain for bidirectional switching of battery charging and discharging, reducing on-resistance to 3.2 mΩ.

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Ilika tests 10 Ah cells to hit Goliath D6 milestone

Ilika has reached its D6 milestone by testing 10 Ah cells in its Goliath solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. The modelling of a Goliath-based battery pack for EVs is under way by UK company Balance Batteries. Early results show the weight of the battery pack can be reduced by up to 100 kg on the basis of Goliath’s benefits, compared to a current SUV lithium-ion model of the same energy.

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Donut Lab claims new platform builds faster, cheaper, better EVs

Donut Lab has taken a new approach to building electric vehicles with a development platform that offers a library of inter-compatible components that can be used to produce supercars, buses, UVs or SUVs in record time, it says.

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Honda unveils demo production line for all-solid-state batteries in Japan

Honda Motor Co has unveiled the demonstration production line for all-solid-state batteries in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It plans to begin battery production on this line in January 2025.

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Altilium achieves milestone in EV battery recycling

Altilium has announced a major breakthrough in the development of the UK’s only domestic supply of sustainable, low-carbon battery materials, with test results confirming its recycled cathode active materials (CAM) are comparable to commercial materials. This positions recycled materials as a competitive alternative to mined sources.

Deep Insight

Cell ageing characteristics

Modelling battery cells at end of life is becoming more popular for key reasons, as Nick Flaherty reports. Accurate prediction of battery lifespan is crucial for e-mobility and involves a variety of test approaches, from thermal measurements to transmission electron microscopes. Assessing how a cell delivers power when required and how it is charged provides insights into its lifetime.

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NXP unveils industry-first ultra-wideband wireless BMS

NXP Semiconductors’ Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless battery management system (BMS) simplifies EV assembly, enables higher energy density, and decouples mechanical and electrical development for faster time to market.