World’s Strongest Battery Paves Way for Light, Energy-Efficient Vehicles

When cars, planes, ships, or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are...

Polyphase Wireless Power Transfer System

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have successfully demonstrated the first 270-kW wireless power transfer to a light-duty electric vehicle. The demonstration...

Medium-Voltage Converters Can Replace Grid Transformers

To electrify everything from vehicles to heating systems to stovetops, the U.S. grid must expand by about 57% and get more flexible, too. Solar and wind energy are the renewables most...

Test Your Knowledge About Electric Aircraft

Electric cars are all the rage these days, changing the way we’ve been driving for our entire lives. But there’s another electric vehicle that could change travel for the better: electric aircraft. How much do you know about electric aircraft? Find out with this quiz.

Making EVs Accessible for All

To address the needs of wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) users in the U.K.’s transition to electric, Motability Operations has revealed eVITA. It’s an accessible and versatile concept electric wheelchair accessible vehicle (eWAV), designed in collaboration with CALLUM.

Data Library Enables Analysis of Electric Grid Issues

Dr. Aaron J. Wilson and his team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed The Grid Event Signature Library — an open-access online collection of datasets containing waveforms that are visual representations of behaviors of the electric grid, which can help analyze anomalous events.

The Impact of Fast Charging on the EV Charging Chain

With fast charging becoming more common, precise and reliable temperature sensing across the charging chain will remain critical even as battery technologies evolve. Read on to learn why.

Batteries and Recycling: The Next Frontier

Recycling EV batteries has been a goal of the auto industry for many years, but the infrastructure to make that a widespread reality is still in the early stages. As the amount of used lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells coming from EVs increases, the industry is getting ready to turn them into fresh packs. Read on to learn more.

Enhancing the Performance of All-Solid-State Batteries

A research team from Pohang University has successfully enhanced the performance and durability of all-solid-state batteries. This breakthrough was made possible through the implementation of a novel approach known as bottom electrodeposition. Read on to learn more.

Portable Science Enclosure Features Unique Innovations

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have designed a science enclosure system for science experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It allows users the ability to safely manipulate objects of study within the transparent enclosure by utilizing protective boundary layer innovations whose designs may be transferable to other containment systems.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on an experimental tractor-trailer that recaptures its own electricity from vibrations, heat, and airflow; one on Mugatu, the first steerable bipedal robot with only one motor; one on Tiago, a research robot being developed at Chalmers University of Technology to push the boundaries of development; and one on a new lithium battery that can charge in under five minutes.

Betting Big on LFP Battery Cells for Electric Commercial Vehicles

Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Truck, and Paccar collaborate to establish a 21-GWh dedicated factory for lithium iron phosphate battery cell manufacturing in the U.S. Read on to learn what that means for you.

Designing Safer, Higher-Performance Lithium Batteries

Examining lithium metal batteries using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy may help in the design of new electrolytes and anode surfaces for high-performance batteries. Read on to learn more.

A Breakthrough in Solid-State Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Batteries

A new synthesis process for solid electrolytes marks a crucial stride toward the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries free from the risks of explosion and fire. Read on to learn more.

Sodium Battery Is Capable of Rapid Charging in Just a Few Seconds

A research team has developed a high-energy, high-power hybrid sodium-ion battery capable of rapid charging. The innovative hybrid energy storage system integrates anode materials typically used in batteries with cathodes suitable for supercapacitors. Read on to learn more.

New Products

See the new products, including Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation's CZ39 series of coreless current sensors, Bourns, Inc.'s latest miniature resettable thermal cutoff device series, Orion S.A.'s range of high-performance conductive additives that improve Li-ion battery performance, and Littelfuse, Inc.'s newest member of its eFuse Protection IC lineup, the LS0502SCD33S.

Volvo Trucks’ Battery Chemistry of Choice: NCA

While Daimler Truck and Paccar are pursuing LFP battery cells, Volvo Trucks employs lithium-ion batteries in which lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) is used as the cathode — for now anyway. The Swedish truck maker is continuously exploring other battery technologies. Read on to learn more.

Creating the Self-Healing Grid of the Future

It’s not hard to imagine the potential value of a self-healing grid, one able to adapt and bounce back to life, ensuring uninterrupted power even when assailed by a hurricane or a group of bad...

Highway Segment Charges Electric Vehicles

Purdue University engineers and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are working to make it possible for electric vehicles ranging from tractor-trailers to passenger cars to wirelessly...

Why the Hybrid Approach Extends the Range of Electric Aircraft

Jean-Christophe Lambert, Ascendance Co-founder and CEO, joins the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain why the hybrid approach is essential to near-term development of electric aircraft.

How Helios Horizon Is Taking Electric Aircraft to New Altitudes

Miguel Iturmendi, Helios Horizon Founder and Chief Test Pilot, explains the project's goal of flying an all-electric aircraft to the stratosphere.

3 eVTOL Companies to Watch in 2024: Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Lilium

Archer Aviation, Joby Aviation, and Lilium are three electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturers that are making major progress in this growing new area of aviation right now. In this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, we highlight some of the latest business agreements, international expansion and regulatory progress being made by these three eVTOL companies. Listen now.

The Future of eVTOL Battery Technology

Ronnie Tao, Vice President of Business Development for Amprius Technologies, joins the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to discuss the AIBOT battery selection and what to expect in the future development of eVTOL battery technology. He also explains how far most eVTOLs can fly on Amprius and other comparable aircraft batteries today.

Control Valves: Essential Components for EV Battery Manufacturing and Recycling

Recovery of valuable elements within the EV battery is essential for the health and viability of the industry. In recycling used EV batteries, controls valves are required. Read on to learn more.

How Intelligent Battery Management Drives EV Buyer Confidence

Battery management systems are poised to become a key competitive differentiator in an EV market that is seeking to grow and thrive on a global level. And by tapping into smarter BMS, automotive manufacturers are future-proofing their resources by embracing, even anticipating, trends in EV battery design. Read on to learn more.

Thermal Management for Off-Highway Electric Vehicles

As demand increases for electric and hybrid technology advancements in the North American market, off-highway vehicles are subject to many challenges. These range from vibration and shock impacts on the vehicles, to thermal stress and adverse environmental conditions such as water, ice, humidity, dust, and grime. Read on to learn how to mitigate these threats.