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R&D project adapts traction batteries to industrial processes

R&D project adapts traction batteries to industrial processes

By eeNews Europe



Technology is one thing – transferring a technology to economical, cost-optimised mass production is something completely different. The EMBATT research consortium is developing what is necessary to turn the traction battery technology for electric cars from the technology phase to the industrial phase. The result will be much cheaper batteries and production processes.

Members of the consortium are Thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH, IAV GmbH and Fraunhofer Institute for ceramic technologies and systems (Fraunhofer IKTS). Their research project aims at developing planar lithium-based high-performance batteries that can be integrated into the car’s body. According to Wolfgang Reiman, division manager of IAV’s e-traction department, such a battery would enable much more compact energy storage solutions with energy densities up to 450 Wh/l which in turn would translate into driving ranges up to 1000 kilometres. The project is based on the cognition that production technology and battery expertise have to be aligned for optimum efficiency.

The specific expertise of the three consortium members will complement mutually and create synergies: IAV is a well-known engineering partner of the automotive industry in Germany and beyond. The company contributes its expertise in fields like vehicle conceptioning, safety, battery dimensioning and electronic control units. Fraunhofer IKTS is performing research on custom materials and processes for the production of electrodes. Thyssenkrupp Systems Engineering is focusing on production systems and equipment for the automotive industry. The latter two run jointly an R&D centre that investigates, among other subjects, environmentally friendly production methods for battery electrodes and laser-based processing techniques for lithium batteries. “This promising combination of materials and technology expertise will allow us to lower the costs of lithium-ion batteries to 200 euros per kilowatt-hour”, explains Mareike Wolter, manager of the mobile energy storage team at Fraunhofer IKTS.

The results of the project will be available in three years.

Related links:

Fraunhofer IKTS https://www.ikts.fraunhofer.de/en.html

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