Battery Metals

A research group in China has devised a method to generate electricity from body movements using a flexible triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). They reported their findings in Nano Energy.

Portable and wearable electronics such as cell phones and smart watches have become indispensable components of modern living. However, the operation times of these devices are limited by battery capacity.

Portable or wearable electricity generators have thus been proposed to charge batteries on the go, but the output power of these generators needs to be improved and they have to be manufactured more cost effectively.

In this study, researchers led by Professor Xu Yun of the Institute of Semiconductors within the Chinese Academy of Sciences used simple macrocontrols instead of expensive lithography technology to manufacture a TENG that had superior power generating capabilities. According to the research group, their TENG (1.5 cm x 1 cm) was able to generate enough voltage to light 48 red LED lights simultaneously.

The researchers also characterized the TENG’s dependence on several environment factors, including frequency, temperature, force and mechanical endurance. They showed that slight body movements, such as bending a finger or rotating the wrist, could result in electrical output. The researchers believe that their device will pave the way for better wearable electronics, robotics and self-powered systems.

When Renault started selling the all-electric Zoe in France, it had a controversial scheme that prevented buyers from owning the battery pack. They could either own the car and pay a monthly fee to lease the pack or lease the whole car.

While it is indeed a controversial scheme, it’s undoubtedly a successful one since under it, the Renault Zoe became the most popular all-electric vehicle in France.

But now the French automaker finally lets buyers also own the battery pack starting today.

Renault’s Xavier Martinet, Director of Marketing in France, made the announcement:

“When we released our first electric cars, Renault was pioneering the market and our focus was on leasing the battery. The aim was to encourage our customers to switch to electric vehicles and provide them with extra peace of mind. The performance and durability of our batteries have now been widely proven. It was time for us to offer our customers a choice between buying or leasing a battery,”

French buyers can still lease the battery pack of the Zoe, which recently got a more powerful motor, but now they can also outright buy it for an additional €8,900 (inclusive of VAT).

The Zoe starts at 23,700€ with a fee of 49€ per month for the battery pack that can increase based on your mileage.

For those of us working on the future of vehicles and energy, this is a fascinating time. Cities are at the root of clean vehicle adoption, and city mayors can have more near-term influence over automotive product offerings than national and international regulators. Original plans to ban diesel engine vehicles in Paris by 2030 already have given way to more stringent proposals. Rome, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City are also lining up to push out diesel vehicles by 2025.

These cities do not constitute a dominant share of the global, European or even national car markets; but they and cities following this trend are big enough to matter. Consumer uncertainty has set in and diesel car sales are in decline across all main markets; 17 percent down in the U.K. during 2017, for example. But clean air and greenhouse gas challenges mean that not just diesel is under pressure, and the future of all fossil-fuelled internal combustion engines is blurry. Governments and vehicle manufacturers are signaling that new cars built from 2020 onwards into the future will be electric.

Current wisdom holds that the engine’s loss will be the battery’s gain. Manufacturers are knocking over barriers previously thought insurmountable, and consumers and operators are embracing plug-in vehicles in major cities worldwide. Job done? We think not yet. It is worth examining the overall picture, and cars separately from other vehicles to understand why.

For cars, battery size matters

For cars in major cities, a battery electric vehicle [BEV] with a modest range could meet the needs for most journeys, and so would be the logical choice for trips around town. However, we see potential drawbacks. First, private cars are not bought for average or even 90 percent of journeys; consumers desire a car to meet the extremes and for single-car households that may include weekends out of town and holidays.

Secondly, BEVs are most relevant in dense urban areas, yet this is also where recharging at home is most challenging. For example, 43 percent of U.K. households have no off-street parking — a higher proportion inevitably applies in cities. Building genuinely cost-effective charging networks is proving tough, and the payment and maintenance business models have not yet matured.

Range and recharging drawbacks can be mitigated to some extent by larger capacity batteries, but this creates its own expensive knock-on. Even as battery costs tumble, a compact BEV with, say, a 100-mile range is still more expensive than its petrol engine equivalent. Subsidies mask this, for as long as governments can bear them. Total cost of ownership also tips the field back in the BEV’s favor somewhat, but for vehicles that do low mileages the case is weaker and depreciation is proving an Achilles heel for many BEVs.

Plug-in vehicles will have their day, but their success depends on something other than bigger batteries to deal with range and recharging challenges. A widespread functioning recharging infrastructure is important, particularly “fast” (7-22kW) and “rapid” (above 22kW) chargers which can provide useful range in minutes rather than hours. An alternative is some form of on-board range-extension device, whether an engine (optional in the BMW i3 for example) or potentially a fuel cell (a Mercedes GLC version will be launched this year). The latter’s obvious advantage is zero emissions in all modes, combined with an inbuilt insurance option against sparse hydrogen refueling and electric recharging points.

Commercial vehicles and buses are challenged by high use

Rationally minded fleet operators look for the lowest total cost to deliver an outcome. Battery EVs are part of the solution set for vans and buses that need guaranteed urban access in zero emission zones, high reliability and consumer acceptance. However, drawbacks exist here, too. More range implies heavier and bulkier batteries which reduce vehicle carrying capacity, exceed weight limits for bridges and even damage road surfaces.

Also, most fleet vehicles are heavily used, meaning that the window for recharging (usually at night) is narrow. While this can be planned for, the combined load on the power network is huge. Uncontrolled charging of a 40 battery bus fleet amounts to over 2MW and even with smart charging a new connection of around 1MW is required. Such connections are often very hard to secure near congested depots, and larger fleets may require their own substation.

These problems can be alleviated by frequent top-ups (“opportunity charging”) at bus stops and fast-charging points for commercial vehicles. Inductive charging pads in the road would make this even more convenient, but the upheaval and cost is not trivial. Another way to mitigate the charging challenge is on-board range extension, bringing engines and fuel cells into the picture, as for cars.

If only there were a zero-emission fuel

Battery vehicles undoubtedly will take a greater share of private car and commercial vehicle markets, but their rise will depend upon fast charging, opportunity charging, smart charging and ever-lower battery costs. Cities will help, with their push to eliminate fossil fuelled vehicles from their centers. In the meantime, other options will continue to be developed, notably plug-in hybrids in the near term, and hydrogen.

Although plug-in vehicles readily can be deployed today using familiar infrastructure, the challenges set in as uptake increases, as described above. The inverse applies to hydrogen vehicles, whose infrastructure is costly to establish but easier and cheaper to scale up incrementally.

Combined with hydrogen’s ability to fully refuel in minutes, provide zero emissions, act as a store for renewable electricity and even substitute natural gas for heating, the case for this fuel is strengthening. New research by KPMG reveals that most senior global automotive executives believe that BEVs will struggle due to recharging, and that fuel cell vehicles will provide the real breakthrough for electric mobility.

Importantly, however, we do not see an either-or choice, and find the strident assertions of some protagonists both unhelpful and misleading. Hydrogen fuel cell range-extended battery cars and vans combine the benefits of both energy types. Fuel cell buses and trucks fit well where use and range are paramount, batteries where there is more leeway. Battery cars already prove attractive for customers who can live with a short range vehicle or seek performance with less regard to cost.

Ultimately, city authorities need not and should not pick a technology winner, so it is worth making sure that the push for low emissions does not focus solely on one type of “electric” vehicle.

A B.C. energy-storage company will showcase the power of its lithium battery on international waters next year.

Richmond’s Corvus Energy has been selected by the Sweden-based ferry operator Stena Line to provide electric power for its first hybrid-style vessel, on a 3½-hour route between Sweden and Denmark.

The technology will work much like that of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, said Sean Puchalski, vice-president of strategic marketing and accounts for Corvus Energy.

“A lot of people are familiar with electric vehicles. whether they be hybrid or plug-in hybrid, or fully battery electric. So, this is an extension of that,” Puchalski said.

“Your fuel bill is less and your impact on the environment is less,” he said.

According to Puchalski, Stena Line will be the first Swedish ferry operator to run a ferry with zero emissions while berthing and in port.

The long-term plan is to run the passenger ferry purely on battery power.

Prices, environmental footprint will decrease

Puchalski said it follows a trend toward electric power across the world, in an effort to cut down fuel costs.

He said the environmental footprint of the shipping industry will drop significantly when more marine companies choose to plug in and use a battery instead of relying on fossil fuels.

The battery system for the ferry costs roughly $25 million, according to Puchalski. While powering such large vessels with a battery is an expensive measure right now, the cost will drop as more companies adopt them, he said.

“There is an incremental cost increase over traditional technology. That increment is coming down as more and more batteries are used,” he said.

B.C. hybrid projects

Puchalski said he’d now like to see more partnership with Canadian companies.

Corvus has already built a partnership with BC Ferries, which will see a battery-operated ferry hit the open water on some small-vessel routes either at the end of this year or the beginning of next.

“We have some initial projects in Canada with the Seaspan ferries and later this year with BC Ferries,” he said.

He said Corvus will also be working on two of the smaller hybrid-style ferries on B.C.`s North Coast

Toyota is reportedly considering developing a battery exchange system, particularly for use in smaller EVs. The plan would entail the construction of a network of battery swapping stations all over Japan.

The report also states that the car manufacturer was planning on establishing the exchange stations at their dealerships. Toyota EV drivers would then be able to quickly and easily swap their empty car batteries for full ones. Currently the concept is mostly aimed at small vehicles and short distances, but Toyota is also still working on the details of the concept, leaving some room for growth.

Last year there were also rumors about a battery exchange system being set up by Tesla, after a patent was registered by Tesla for an automated battery pack exchange. This does not mean much for the immediate future however, as Tesla also introduced a battery exchange concept back in 2013, which has not been further developed into a serial production.

This marks Toyota’s first public announcement in connection with a battery swapping system. The hybrid vehicle pioneer announced in December that they plan to make a least half their income by selling electrified cars by 2030. They will also be expanding their partnership with Panasonic to include the production of batteries for BEVs, focusing on producing better prismatic battery cells.