Volkswagen is banking on the future thanks to the various solutions offered by the American company 24M. Founded in 2010, it specializes in the manufacturing and design of lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries. Its latest innovations could not go unnoticed by the German giant.
The battery sector has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years, and manufacturers are coming up with designs that allow for ever greater range and capacity. Gotion High Tech and its Astroinno battery, Toyota and their solid-state batteries or even DESTEN and its ultra-fast LFP cells.
This time, it is the company 24M, from Cambridge, which worked on three different technologies: Eternalyte™, 24M ETOP™ and Impervio™. These convinced the Volkswagen group, which will now collaborate with 24M and has acquired 25% of the company’s shares. This with the aim of creating a dedicated entity which will work on the manufacture of battery cells, SemiSolid™, specially designed for the automobile.
The winning triptych of 24M
The technological suite that 24M has just unveiled therefore includes three key elements:
- Eternalyte™, a liquid electrolyte.
- Impervio™, a new generation battery separator.
- 24M ETOP™, a battery technology electrode-to-pack.
These innovations respond rather effectively to the problems of lithium-metal batteries, namely: safety problems (formation of metal dendrites on the anode which cause short circuits), their limitations in terms of lifespan and capacity of charge. Weaknesses which, today, still limit their commercial use.
Naoki Ota, CEO of 24M, seems confident: “ We are determined to revolutionize the world of batteries by offering innovative solutions capable of meeting the sector’s major challenges. Eternalyte™ is at the heart of this metamorphosis, paving the way for lithium-metal batteries with exceptional longevity “.
Finally the super-battery that everyone has been waiting for?
According to the figures provided, the use of Eternalyte™ optimizes and stabilizes battery charging cycles very effectively. It would give it a range of 1,000 miles (1,609 km) while retaining 83% of its capacity after more than 500 cycles. The total battery life would then be 500,000 miles (approximately 805,000 km)!
24M ETOP™ technology would make it possible to optimize the manufacturing of battery packs. Traditionally, EV batteries are built by assembling individual cells into modules, which are then grouped together to form the final pack. 24M technology eliminates the module creation step and allows the electrodes to be directly integrated into the battery pack without having to manufacture separate modular cells. Result: fewer materials used, increased energy density and reduced production costs!
If Volkswagen has positioned itself as an investor, it is because the potential represented by 24M’s latest innovations is indeed there. This perhaps represents the first step in the use of lithium-metal batteries in the automotive industry.
Sources: Business Wire, 24M
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