Worldwide, batteries are getting a great deal of backing, but probably not at the level of China’s push to rule over world electric vehicle markets. Recently, China awarded BYD $3.7 billion to enable it to pursue dominance of the world EV market. According to Bloomberg.com, “Virtually all of China’s listed companies received direct handouts in 2022, the Kiel Institute [for the World Economy] said, flagging support for wind, solar and railway rolling stock companies. Industry aid in China is “at least three to four” times higher than in large EU and OECD countries, the group said.” The European Union is busy investigating China’s underwriting of its own auto industry in what the EU sees as an anti-competitive advantage in an ongoing EV price war. America, for the most part, and aside from relatively minor Advanced Research Project Agency – Electric (ARPA-E) funding, does not seem to encourage EV development. What usually starts with automotive advancement eventually finds its way skyward. …
Group 14 Gets a Push from Porsche
We covered Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s visit to the Group 14 Technologies battery plant in Woodinville last year. Now the Group is getting attention from Porsche, among other funders. The startup company announced raising $400 million from investors including the Teutonic automaker. According to Reuters, part of those funds will be used to build a second battery materials plant in eastern Washington State. The company is now valued at over $1 billion, money which will help expand battery materials production for the silicon-lithium cell market. Silicon is a desirable material in batteries, capable of storing more energy than lithium or other metals. It has a major drawback, though. In expanding and contracting during charge-discharge cycles, it eventually deteriorates, crumbles, and brings the battery’s usefulness to an end. Dr. Yi Cui of Stanford University has tried various methods over the years to prevent such crumbling. His firm, Amprius, has developed a silicon nanowire anode that enables a battery with 450 Watt-hour …
Storedot: Silicon and Tin for a Fast Charge
Storedot is an Israeli battery company with an appealing sales pitch – their batteries can be fully charged in minutes rather than hours. To make that happen, they are combining silicon, long considered a necessity for high energy density, and a more humble material – tin. Beside the unique material blend, Storedot is working on a 4680 battery (46 millimeters in diameter, 80 in length) equivalent to what Tesla has announced for use in its cars. Storedot claims 10 minutes for a full charge on an automobile. They demonstrated the ability to fully charge an electric scooter in five minutes last year. Autos could have 200 miles added to their batteries in 10 minutes by 2024, based on Storedot’s timeline. Storedot differentiates between range anxiety, the nervousness caused by wondering if your EV will make it to the next charging station, and charging anxiety, the worry that a charger will not be available when you arrive. Another anxiety in today’s …