U.S. Department of Energy is Funding a $60M Project to Help Increase the Operating Temperature & Safety of Lithium-ion EV Batteries
【Summary】The U.S. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Monday it selected Boston-based battery technology company Koura to participate in a $60 million project that will study ways to increase the operating temperature of lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries using fluorinated electrolytes. The project is intended to help accelerate advancements in zero-emissions vehicles in the U.S.

The U.S. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Monday it selected Boston-based battery technology company Koura to participate in a $60 million project that will study ways to increase the operating temperature of lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries. The project is intended to help accelerate advancements in zero-emissions vehicles.
As a part of the $60 million investment from the DOE, Koura was awarded $3.1 million. The research funding will support the development of "fluorinated electrolytes" to protect EV batteries from overheating while improving the fast charging capabilities. The fluorinated electrolytes will also help reduce the risk of fires and short circuits at higher operating temperatures.
Koura, which is a division of Mexico-based chemical company Orbia, is emerging as a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of fluoroproducts and technologies. The company says its the largest producer of fluorspar (calcium fluorite) in the world, accounting for over 20% of the global supply.
"We are excited to be selected to participate in this important initiative," said Miodrag Oljaca, head of Growth and Technology at Koura. "The new research funding from the Department of Energy is recognition of Koura's innovation in battery technology and our strategic approach to developing next-generation technologies that can deliver improved safety, performance and sustainability for the entire battery industry."
Electrolytes in an EV battery enable the flow of positive and negatively-charged ions between the cathode and anode inside batteries. Most lithium-ion batteries use carbonate-based electrolytes, which are prone to overheating and limit the temperatures at which a battery can safely operate.
However the use of fluorinated electrolyte mixed non-polar solvents, which are non-flammable, allows a battery to operate in a broader range of temperatures and voltages versus conventional carbonate electrolytes, without the need for a complex battery cooling system. The use of fluorinated electrolyte gives a battery a higher electrochemical stability.
In Aug 2020, Researchers at Kyoto University working with Japan's Toyota Motor Corp announced the development of a solid state fluoride-ion battery with seven times the energy density of a lithium-ion battery that can deliver EV ranges of over 600 miles per charge.
For the project, Koura will partner with researchers at Silatronix and the DOE's Argonne National Lab in Illinois. Silatronix will assist in electrolyte development and manufacture of batteries to validate their performance.
Madison, Wisconsin based Silatronix is a developer of an electrolyte solvent named "OS3", which stabilizes lithium salt and carbonate to improve lithium-ion battery performance. The solvent works in both liquid and solid electrolyte batteries.
Earlier this month, Koura announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Silatronix.
Silatronix was established in 2007 by Dr. Robert West and Dr. Robert Hamers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an incubator for battery technology. With support from the DOE and the Office of Naval Research, Silatronix has built a reputation for developing breakthrough solutions and electrolyte technologies for lithium-ion batteries.
The $3.1 million in funding from the DOE will also help Koura expand its presence in energy storage and EV battery technologies in the U.S. in order to set up a domestic supply chain. Although electrolytes are a key component of Li-ion batteries, it's currently sourced almost exclusively outside of the U.S., according to Koura.
-
Ford is Testing a New Robotic Charging Station to Assist Drivers of EVs With Disabilities
-
Ford Raises the Prices of the F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup Due to Rising Raw Material Costs
-
The BMW 7-Series to Feature HD Live Maps From HERE Technologies for Hands-Free Highway Driving in North America at Speeds up to 80 MPH
-
AutoX to Use the 'Eyeonic Vision Sensor' from California-based SiLC Technologies for its Robotaxi Fleet in China
-
LG Develops ‘Invisible’ Speaker Sound Technology That Could Revolutionize In-Vehicle Audio
-
Researchers at South Korea’s Chung-Ang University Develop a ‘Meta-Reinforcement’ Machine Learning Algorithm for Traffic Lights to Improve Vehicle Throughput
-
Zeekr’s New 009 Electric Passenger Van is the World’s First EV to Feature CATL’s Advanced ‘Qilin’ Battery With a Range of 510 Miles
-
Redwood Materials is Building an Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling Facility in South Carolina
- Biden Administration Announces New Standards to Make EV Chargers More Accessible
- Uber and its Technology Partner Aurora to Expand Autonomous Trucking Pilot in Texas
- Drivers of 2010-2018 Lexus Vehicles Lose Vehicle Connectivity Services Due to The Recent Shutdown of 3G Cellular Networks
- Mercedes-Benz Signs MoU With the Government of Canada to Source the Raw Materials for Electric Vehicle Batteries
- Solar-Electric Car Developer Lightyear Announces Technical Partnership with Hypercar Manufacturer Koenigsegg
- Toyota is Working With the U.S. Dept of Energy to Advance ‘Megawatt-Scale’ Fuel Cell Powered Stationary Energy Generators
- Amazon Customers in Texas and California Will Begin Receiving Packages via Prime Air Drones Later This Year
- Tesla May Build its Next Factory in South Korea, According to the Country’s Presidential Office
- GM Launches its Dealer Community Charging Program, Aims to Install 40,000 EV Chargers in Rural Areas and Small Towns Across the U.S.
- California DMV Accuses Tesla of Making False Claims About its Driver-Assist Systems