Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs-backed Northvolt snaps up Silicon...

Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs-backed Northvolt snaps up Silicon Valley’s Cuberg in EV battery race

The Swedish manufacturer founded by a former Tesla employee looks to boost the energy density and range of electric-vehicle batteries

Swedish battery maker Northvolt has snapped up Cuberg to gain access to the Silicon Valley startup’s technology, which will boost the energy density and range of electric-vehicle batteries.

Northvolt, which was founded by former Tesla employee Peter Carlsson in 2016 and is 40% owned by Volkswagen Group, said Cuberg’s batteries would be deployed in electric aircraft within three years, and in cars by 2025.

Carlsson said that the acquisition would help Northvolt improve both performance and safety while driving down cost for next-generation battery cells.

“This is critical for accelerating the shift to fully electric vehicles and responding to the needs of the leading automotive companies within a relevant time frame,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

The deal comes amid a global race to produce the most powerful and efficient batteries for a fast growing market of electric-vehicle manufacturers.

European car makers are scrambling to invest in battery technology for the next generation of electric vehicles that will allow them to compete against Tesla and Chinese rivals like NIO, XPeng, and BYD.

UBS projects that electric vehicles will have completely penetrated the automobile market by 2040, with batteries representing the main cost down driver for EVs.

Plus: Forget Nio and XPeng. This company and Tesla will be the top two electric-vehicle plays by 2025, says UBS.

Analysts at the Swiss bank predict that the required battery cell supply to meet this demand will result in global shortages by 2025, with battery manufacturers LG Chem and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, or CATL, poised to benefit.

Northvolt’s location in Europe — the second-largest market for electric vehicles after China — makes it a prime challenger for LG Chem and CATL.

Northvolt supplies its cells to companies including ABB, BMW, Siemens, Swedish state-owned Vattenfall, and Scania, owned by Traton.

The company is on a mission to build the world’s greenest battery and has two gigafactories under construction in Sweden and Germany.

Privately owned Northvolt is also backed by Goldman Sachs, Scottish asset manager Baillie Gifford, and Spotify Chief Executive Daniel Ek.

Cuberg’s breakthrough battery technology is optimally designed for commercialization, Northvolt said.

Its battery cells can deliver 70% more range and capacity than comparable cells designed for high-rate electric aviation applications, and Northvolt will work with Cuberg to mature its batteries for automotive and industrial use.

By 2025, the group aims to industrialize battery cells with much higher volumetric energy density than is currently seen in the sector.

As part of the deal, Northvolt will establish an advanced technology center in Silicon Valley that will focus on materials research and the development for lithium-ion anode and electrolyte technologies.

Cuberg, which is backed by plane maker Boeing, the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Energy Department and the TomKat Center at Stanford, counts Boeing and aircraft developers Ampaire and VoltAero among its customers.

www.marketwatch.com


Rolls-Royce electric plane taxis towards world electric speed record

Rolls-Royce has successfully taxied its ‘Spirit of Innovation’ all-electric aircraft, a critical step in testing ahead of actual flight testing, and an important milestone towards the company’s plans to set a new record for the world’s fastest all-electric plane.

The Spirit of Innovation successfully propelled itself along a runway, powered by its 500hp [400kw] electric powertrain and its advanced battery system.

Hopes for the Spirit of Innovation is that it will be able to reach speeds of more than 480km/h (300mph), though at the moment its taxiing speed is somewhat less inspiring.

Rolls-Royce ACCEL – B-Roll Selects from Rolls-Royce on Vimeo.

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We first heard word of a Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight) electric plane back in early 2019, at which point the company’s project manager boasted that the plane would be powered by a state-of-the-art electric system and “the most powerful battery ever built for flight”.

According to the ACCEL website, the Spirit of Innovation’s battery pack includes 6,000 cells and will provide enough energy to fly 200 miles, or from London to Paris, on a single charge.

The battery will power three 750R lightweight electric motors manufactured by British electric motors company YASA, which together will deliver over 500 horsepower to the propeller at a lower RPM than a conventional airplane, which will result in increased stability and less noise.

“Electrification of flight is an important part of our sustainability strategy as we aim for net zero carbon by 2050,” said Rob Watson, Director, Rolls-Royce Electrical.

“Taxiing of the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ is an incredible milestone for the ACCEL team as we progress to first flight and the world-record attempt later this year.

For the first time, the plane propelled itself forward using the power from an advanced battery and propulsion system that is ground-breaking in terms of electrical technology.

“This system and the capabilities being developed will help position Rolls-Royce as a technology leader offering power systems to the Urban Air Mobility market.”

Beyond developing a record-beating electric plane, Rolls-Royce is using the technology from its ACCEL project and applying it to products for the market, and is currently planning on supplying a portfolio of motors, power electronics, and batteries to the general aerospace, urban air mobility, and small commuter aircraft sectors.

Half of the funding for the ACCEL project is provided by the British Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK.

“The taxiing of Rolls-Royce’s ‘Spirit of Innovation’ forms part of an exciting new chapter in aviation as we move towards its first flight in the spring,” added UK’s Minister for Business Paul Scully.

https://thedriven.io/2021/03/10/rol...ne-taxis-towards-world-electric-speed-record/




Food for thought ( Flight )

GLTA-AVZH's

Cheers

Frank