Volkswagen’s PowerCo SE has developed a new way to create batteries and it could save the automaker hundreds of millions of euros every year.
While the process is a little hard to explain, the company has developed a new “dry coating” procedure that allows for manufacturing electrodes more affordably.explained, “In modern industrial electrode production, the battery materials are mixed with additives and liquid solvents to a slurry. Afterwards, they are coated onto foils of copper or aluminum, then dried and calendered.” This is a costly and power-intensive process, but dry coating cuts out two of the steps.
Those are all good things, but the cost savings are huge as chemical solvents are no longer required and the most energy-intensive part of cell manufacturing is eliminated. Speaking of which, the new method can result in energy savings of approximately 30%. Production can also occur in factories that require 15% less floor space and this amplifies the savings.
The battery firm is already testing and optimizing the technology on a pilot production line in Northern Germany, and they’re planning to introduce the new manufacturing process at plants in Europe and North America. Development is slated to wrap up next year and we should see production in 2026 or 2027.
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