Caltech, JPL team up for breakthrough in battery tech
Caltech researchers and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have found a game-changing way to make lithium-ion batteries last longer and perform better. By coating battery cathodes with graphene—a super-strong, electricity-conducting layer of carbon—the team has doubled battery life and reduced the need for cobalt, a costly and hard-to-source metal.
David Boyd, a senior research scientist at Caltech, has been working on graphene for over a decade. In 2015, his team discovered how to make it at room temperature, a big improvement over the 1,000°C process previously required. That innovation laid the groundwork for this latest breakthrough.
Partnering with JPL’s battery expert Will West, Boyd developed a “dry coating” method to apply graphene to cathode materials. This technique, borrowed from the pharmaceutical industry, creates a protective graphene layer that prevents damage from transition metal dissolution—a major cause of battery degradation.
The result? Batteries that charge faster, last longer, and work in wider temperature ranges. Plus, the process is scalable and eco-friendly, making it an easy upgrade for existing battery factories.
“This opens up so many possibilities,” Boyd said. “It’s a win for battery technology and the environment.”
The research, published in The Journal of The Electrochemical Society, could reshape how batteries power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
More Ample Investments
Ample, a leader in EV battery-swapping technology, has secured a $25 million investment from Mitsubishi Corporation. This partnership extends beyond financing, with Mitsubishi leveraging its mobility, renewable energy, and battery expertise to support Ample’s expansion of battery-swapping services. CEO Khaled Hassounah emphasized the collaboration’s role in making EV adoption more accessible and sustainable.
Ample has recently expanded its operations in Japan and forged key partnerships with major OEMs, including Stellantis and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, integrating its technology across a diverse range of EVs. These advancements highlight Ample’s dedication to efficient energy solutions and accelerating global EV adoption.
Honda Unveils All-Solid-State Battery Demonstration Line in Japan
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. revealed its newly constructed demonstration production line for all-solid-state batteries at its Honda R&D facility in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. This advanced facility marks a major milestone in Honda’s independent development of next-generation batteries, aiming to bring them to market in the latter half of the 2020s.
The 27,400 m² (295,000 ft²) facility replicates the mass production process for these batteries, allowing Honda to refine manufacturing techniques, develop battery specifications, and evaluate costs. Key innovations include a roll-pressing technique to enhance the density of solid electrolyte layers, improve interfacial contact between electrodes and electrolytes, and streamline production time per cell. Honda is also focused on reducing power consumption and other indirect costs through efficient production control technologies.
Honda plans to apply its all-solid-state batteries across a wide range of mobility products, including automobiles, motorcycles, and aircraft, leveraging economies of scale to reduce costs and expand adoption. These batteries are expected to address key challenges of EVs, including range, cost, and charging time, while offering improved energy density and heat resistance.
Keiji Otsu, President of Honda R&D Co., Ltd., described the technology as a “game changer” in advancing electrification. He emphasized the importance of batteries in Honda’s transformation and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The demonstration line represents an investment of approximately 43 billion yen and is partially funded by Japan’s Green Innovation Fund. Honda plans to begin battery production on the line by January 2025.
VsNEW New Battery Health Report
vsNEW, a startup specializing in battery health reports for used electric and hybrid vehicles, has launched a two-minute EV battery health report for dealerships and used EV buyers. By analyzing extensive diagnostic data from a vehicle’s battery management system, the service offers transparency on battery condition, covering all OEMs, including Tesla. The technology detects key issues like degradation, cell imbalance, and physical pack damage, which are critical for assessing battery reliability and performance.
vsNEW is presenting at Used Car Week in Scottsdale, AZ, with CEO Sachin Chaudhry discussing how to avoid defective EV batteries. Their reports, based on actual data rather than estimates, help identify potential battery failures and provide essential insights as used EV sales are projected to grow significantly. With 5% of tested vehicles showing early signs of cell imbalance, vsNEW aims to give dealers and buyers peace of mind by offering accurate battery health assessments.
Irdeto & ChargeHub Partner
Irdeto, a leader in digital platform security, and ChargeHub, North America’s top EV roaming interoperability hub, have announced an enhanced strategic partnership to offer a fully integrated Plug & Charge (P&C) solution with roaming capabilities through a single integration. This collaboration simplifies scaling and management of EV charging networks for Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and e-Mobility Service Providers (eMSPs), offering seamless, secure, and automated charging across ChargeHub’s extensive network of over 170 active roaming connections and more than 120,000 charging ports in the U.S. and Canada.
Irdeto’s CrossCharge PKI platform ensures efficient charging without extra authentication, while ChargeHub’s Passport Hub provides expansive roaming access. The solution offers OEMs financial efficiency with consolidated monthly billing and end-to-end testing across both DC and AC charging, accelerating market readiness and ensuring scalable, reliable operations.
By keeping all elements of their solutions in-house, Irdeto and ChargeHub offer unmatched quality and security, paving the way for a streamlined, user-friendly, and future-proof EV charging experience. This partnership aims to accelerate EV adoption and enhance industry interoperability for a more connected and sustainable future.
Sila Battery Engineering Support Services
Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, has launched new Battery Engineering Services to support consumer electronics (CE) and micromobility design teams, along with their cell manufacturing partners, in developing better batteries. By leveraging Sila’s advanced nano-composite silicon (NCS) anode, Titan Silicon, the new services aim to dramatically boost cell-level performance, improving battery size, life, and charge times to enhance the consumer experience.
CEO Gene Berdichevsky emphasized how Sila’s technology has already enabled unprecedented performance in millions of devices and highlighted the benefits of close collaboration between Sila, OEMs, and cell partners to maximize energy density, power, and cycle life. The new Battery Engineering Services include assistance from concept to launch, including collaboration on chemistry and anode design, cell testing, and fast-tracked development for quicker market entry.
Sila’s Titan Silicon has already been deployed in millions of devices, such as a newly launched wearable with a 100% graphite anode replacement, boosting energy density by nearly 20%. The company plans to showcase its innovations at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
EVgo Fast Chargers at Meijer Stores
EVgo Inc., one of the country’s largest public fast-charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs), announced an expanded partnership with Midwest retailer Meijer to increase fast-charging infrastructure at Meijer store locations across six states: Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. This collaboration aims to deploy up to 480 new public fast-charging stalls.
Currently, EVgo operates 24 fast-charging stalls at six Meijer locations in Michigan and Ohio. The expansion plans to add 30 new stations by the end of 2026, with another 30 anticipated by the end of 2027.
“Fast charging should be an effortless part of drivers’ daily routines, and nothing is more routine than a trip to the grocery store,” said Dennis Kish, President of EVgo, highlighting the companies’ shared commitment to enhancing the EV charging experience for Midwest drivers.
Meijer, which offers EV charging at over 35% of its stores, sees this initiative as part of its broader sustainability goals, having recently surpassed its carbon emissions reduction target a year early. Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer, emphasized the partnership’s role in reducing emissions and fostering a more sustainable future.
This expansion aligns with EVgo’s national customer-focused charging network efforts, supported by a conditional $1.05 billion loan guarantee commitment from the Department of Energy.
Workhorse Group Secures GSA Fleet Contract to Expand Government EV Access
Workhorse Group Inc. (Nasdaq: WKHS), a leader in zero-emission commercial vehicles, has been awarded a General Services Administration (GSA) Government Fleet Contract through Colonial Fleet Electrification. This contract, listed under Special Item Number (SIN) 493E, allows federal agencies to easily procure Workhorse’s American-made electric vehicles via the GSAFleet.gov platform.
This achievement reflects Workhorse’s adherence to rigorous quality and manufacturing standards at its Union City, Indiana facility. President Ryan Gaul emphasized the milestone as a testament to the company’s ability to meet government fleet needs with durable, reliable EV solutions designed and manufactured in the U.S.
The GSA designation complements Workhorse’s expanding cooperative purchasing partnerships, including Sourcewell, Florida Sheriff’s Association Purchasing Program, OMNIA Partners, and New York City’s PASSPort platform. These initiatives streamline EV adoption for public sector fleets, supporting the transition to zero-emission transportation.