Lithium News

Canada’s newly announced $5,000 incentive for electric vehicles is officially going into effect on May 1st next month and the federal government has released the list of eligible vehicles.

Tesla vehicles are officially ineligible for the incentive.

As we reported last month, the Canadian federal announced a new $5,000 incentive for electric cars with a $45,000 price limit, which virtually excluded Tesla vehicles.

Now the government has released all the details about the incentive:

“To be eligible for incentives, a vehicle must have a base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $45,000 for passenger vehicles with six or fewer seats, and less than $55,000 for vehicles with seven or more seats. For eligible vehicles with six or fewer seats, higher priced versions (trims) are eligible as long as the final manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $55,000 or less.”

All the most popular electric vehicles, except for Tesla’s vehicles, are eligible for the incentive.

Even the Chevy Bolt EV, which starts has an MSRP of $46,945 CAD in Canada, is officially eligible for the federal incentive.

The federal government incentive can also be added on top of other provincial incentives.

For example, the Chevy Bolt EV would start at only $34,000 CAD in Quebec, which is the equivalent of ~$25,500 USD.

Tesla Model 3, which is now by far the most popular all-electric vehicle in Canada, starts at $53,700 on the website, but the automaker claims to still be selling the base Model 3 for $47,000 as an off-the-menu item offline.

We contacted Tesla about them possibly working with the government to make Model 3 eligible for the incentive, like the Bolt EV, and we will update if we get an answer.

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a way to make lithium-ion battery that can charge within minutes but still operate at a high capacity, an advance that may improve performance for smartphones and electric vehicles.

A lithium-ion battery charges and discharges as lithium ions move between two electrodes, called an anode and a cathode. In a traditional lithium-ion battery, the anode is made of graphite, while the cathode is composed of lithium cobalt oxide.

These materials perform well together, which is why lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly popular, but researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US believe the function can be enhanced further.

“The way to make batteries better is to improve the materials used for the electrodes,” said Nikhil Koratkar, a professor at Rensselaer.

“What we are trying to do is make lithium-ion technology even better in performance,” Koratkar said in a statement.

The team improved battery performance by substituting cobalt oxide with vanadium disulfide (VS2).

“It gives you higher energy density because it’s light. And it gives you faster-charging capability because it’s highly conductive. From those points of view, we were attracted to this material,” said Koratkar.

The excitement surrounding the potential of VS2 has been growing in recent years, but until now, Koratkar said, researchers had been challenged by its instability — a characteristic that would lead to short battery life.

The researchers not only established why that instability was happening, but also developed a way to combat it.

The team determined that lithium insertion caused an asymmetry in the spacing between vanadium atoms, known as Peierls distortion, which was responsible for the breakup of the VS2 flakes.

They discovered that covering the flakes with a nanolayered coating of titanium disulfide (TiS2) — a material that does not Peierls distort — would stabilize the VS2 flakes and improve their performance within the battery.

“The TiS2 coating acts as a buffer layer. It holds the VS2 material together, providing mechanical support,” said Koratkar.

Once that problem was solved, the team found that the VS2-TiS2 electrodes could operate at a high specific capacity, or store a lot of charge per unit mass.

Koratkar said that vanadium and sulphur’s small size and weight allow them to deliver a high capacity and energy density. Their small size would also contribute to a compact battery.

When charging was done more quickly, Koratkar said, the capacity didn’t dip as significantly as it often does with other electrodes.

The electrodes were able to maintain a reasonable capacity because, unlike cobalt oxide, the VS2-TiS2 material is electrically conductive.

Koratkar sees multiple applications for this discovery in improving car batteries, power for portable electronics, and solar energy storage where high capacity is important, but increased charging speed would also be attractive.

The study was published in Nature Communication on 16 April.

It’s easy to be jaded by new battery news. Scientists tinker with chemical formulas, using all manner of exotic materials, only for that research to fade into the dusty annals of academia. But this breakthrough is something different. Scientists with the company Cuberg have crafted a new battery that comes with a way to scale up in the real world.

The startup, with backing from Boeing, venture capitalists, and the U.S. Department of Energy, has demonstrated the world’s first vertical drone powered by a lithium metal battery (not to be confused with lithium-ion.) The quadcopter flew 70 percent longer than the one powered by a lithium-ion battery.

The key invention is a new, non-flammable electrolyte that erases the safety risks associated with today’s ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries.

“Because it’s also chemically very robust and stable, it allows us to use much more energy dense materials inside the battery to cut down a lot of the excess weight in the cell,” says Cuberg CEO Richard Wang. “The material changes from a typical graphite that you find in lithium-ion to a pure lithium metal foil.”

Cuberg sees the ultralight weight batteries as an essential ingredient for cutting-edge aerospace programs, including electric aircraft, flying taxis, and large military cargo drones. “If you look at anything that’s flying, lithium-ion batteries are just not good enough,” Wang says. “When you start looking at more ambitious plans, things like Uber Elevate and more futuristic electric planes or hybrid electric passenger airliners, lithium-ion is not going to cut it. It’s just too heavy; the performance and economics don’t make sense.”

Safety is naturally a critical part of any aircraft, especially one carrying people, so replacing flammable material is obviously desirable. Li-ion batteries are notorious for their combustibility, which happens when overheating causes the flammable electrolyte to vent gasses that react to the cathode, which results in a runaway heating, fire, and explosions.

“The new electrolyte is thermally stable, so even when all the other materials in there are very energy dense and you have overheating, if your electrolyte is stable it greatly mitigates the extent to which this happens,” Wang says. By nipping the thermal runway in the bud, Cuberg says these batteries enjoy great power density and are also safer.

Perhaps the biggest advantage is that the process won’t require big retrofits to bring it to the factory floor, making the tech logistically possible. “People in the battery business say that everything has been done before, in some form or another, typically by some government scientist in a national lab in the sixties,” Wang says. “That’s kind of true for our system as well, but historically no one’s ever figured out how to use these chemical systems effectively. There’s always been challenges of purity, with cost, with basic physical challenges.”

The lithium-ion battery boom has created an entire supply chain that now uses some of the same precursor chemicals used in the Cuberg battery, making it easier to scale production to industrial levels. “When you look at the battery world, there are so many breakthroughs,” Wang says. “But for things to actually can make an impact, you have to go several steps beyond the fundamental materials breakthrough and figure something that works on so many other levels, economically and business wise.”

Cuberg is calling these new batteries a “fundamental leap” in battery technology. If they are right, the flight of the quadcopter could be the trailblazer for an oncoming deluge of unmanned aircraft and passenger aircraft, going places where lithium-ion just doesn’t work.

One logical place to look for this battery to be used is on Boeing’s cargo drone, a 15-foot-wide drone that first flew last year. After that, the sky wouldn’t necessarily be the limit, if the system becomes familiar enough to qualify for use in spacecraft.

But one place you won’t likely see these batteries used is for grid storage, where extending the battery’s cycle life (the time it takes to charge and discharge) is a lot more important than saving weight.

But for those who dream of electrified flying taxis of the future, having a better battery than the Li-Ion is a welcome development.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have improved their recycling process that regenerates degraded cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries. The new process is safer and uses less energy than their previous method in restoring cathodes to their original capacity and cycle performance.

Zheng Chen, a professor of nanoengineering who is affiliated with the Sustainable Power and Energy Center at UC San Diego, led the project. The work was published in Advanced Energy Materials.

“Due to the rapid growth of electric vehicle markets, the worldwide manufacturing capacity of lithium-ion batteries is expected to reach hundreds of gigawatt hours per year in the next five years,” Chen said. “This work presents a solution to reclaim the values of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries after 5 to 10 years of operation.”

Chen’s team previously developed a direct recycling approach to recycle and regenerate degraded cathodes. It replenishes lithium ions that cathodes lose over extended use and restores their atomic structures back to their original states. However, that process involves pressurizing a hot lithium salt solution of cathode particles to around 10 atmospheres. The problem is this pressurizing step raises costs and requires extra safety precautions and special equipment, said Chen.

So the team developed a milder process to do the same job at ambient pressure (1 atmosphere). The key was using eutectic lithium salts—a mixture of two or more salts that melts at temperatures much lower than either of its components. This combination of solid lithium salts produces a solvent-free liquid that researchers can use to dissolve degraded cathode materials and restore lithium ions without adding any extra pressure in the reactors.

The new recycling method involves collecting cathode particles from spent lithium ion batteries and then mixing them with a eutectic lithium salt solution. The mixture is then heat treated in two steps: it is first heated to 300 C, then it goes through a short annealing process in which it is heated to 850 C for several hours and then cooled naturally.

Researchers used the method to regenerate NMC (LiNi_0.5Mn_0.3Co_0.2), a popular cathode containing nickel, manganese and cobalt, which is used in many of today’s electric vehicles.

“We made new cathodes from the regenerated particles and then tested them in batteries built in the lab. The regenerated cathodes showed the same capacity and cycle performance as the originals,” said Yang Shi, the first author who performed this work as a postdoctoral researcher in Chen’s lab at UC San Diego.

“In an end-of-life lithium-ion battery, the cathode material loses some of its lithium. The cathode’s crystal structure also changes such that it’s less capable of moving ions in and out. The recycling process that we developed restores both the cathode’s lithium concentration and crystal structure back to their original states,” Shi said.

The team is tuning this process so that it can be used to recycle any type of cathode materials used in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.

“The goal is to make this a universal recycling process for all cathode materials,” Chen said. The team is also working on a process to recycle degraded anodes, such as graphite as well as other materials.

Chen is also collaborating with UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Shirley Meng, who is the director of the Sustainable Power and Energy Center, to identify subtle changes in the cathode microstructure and local composition using high-resolution microscopic imaging tools.

Nikola Motors is a startup that’s developing electric big rigs, but it’s also funneling some of that knowledge into a fast, futuristic vehicle that non-truckers might want to drive called the NZT. Debuted at an event in Arizona on Tuesday night alongside those big rigs and an electric watercraft, the NZT is a four-wheeler with modern dune buggy vibes that’s built to go off road. Nikola hopes to set it apart by offering some creature comforts typically found in road cars, as well as eye-popping power — with an $80,000 starting price to match when it goes into production in 2021.

The NZT (which stands for “net zero toll,” a nod to its lack of emissions) should tackle trails and hills with ease thanks to 35-inch tires and a motor at each wheel. But drivers won’t have to get dirty or sweaty along the way. The cabin can be completely sealed off from the elements, and features an HVAC system for heating or cooling your drives. The NZT also has a 7-inch instrument cluster and a 13-inch portrait-oriented display in the dash (both IP68 waterproof) that can be updated via over-the-air software updates. With this much tech, it’d be easy to mistake the NZT’s interior for a tiny Tesla.

That said, with up to 590 horsepower on offer, it’s hard to imagine owners paying much attention to the screens during drives through the desert. Nikola claims the NZT will go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4 seconds, and owners will apparently be able to take that supercar speed pretty far, too. The NZT will travel up to 150 miles on a full battery thanks to a fat 125kWh pack, according to Nikola’s website. On top of that, it features a 3,000-pound towing capacity, and can spend 30 minutes in up to a meter of water.

Those are big claims, especially on the battery side of things. The most expensive Teslas have battery packs with 100kWh of capacity, and most other EVs currently in production offer less than that. How Nikola plans to put that much battery capacity into such a small package is a question we’ll try to answer while out here in Arizona. (The sky-high sticker price, massive 5250 pound weight, and 2021 production date offer some clues, though.)

One reason to believe in these bold claims is that the NZT Nikola showed Tuesday night was the culmination of years of work. The company has repeatedly teased prototypes of its off-road vehicle, and the NZT just happens to be the version the company decided to try to bring to market. Nikola is also developing a similar off-road electric vehicle for military purposes. A lot of work has gone into the design and engineering of this vehicle.

The price of the NZT will be a major barrier, but that’s part of the plan to begin with. Nikola’s executives said in a press conference after Tuesday night’s event that the company’s big business will be the electric big rigs — no surprise, considering the startup already has billions of dollars in commitments to those trucks from companies like Anheuser-Busch. Just like the other more direct-to-consumer product Nikola announced in Arizona, the Wav electric personal watercraft, the NZT will exist at the fringes of the startup’s business.

Tesla Semi Truck competitor Nikola Motor Company will unveil battery-only versions of the Nikola Two and Nikola Tre semi-trucks at its two-day Nikola World 2019 event in Scottsdale, Arizona this week. Previously, hydrogen-electric versions were announced, including the Nikola One, unveiled in 2016. A track demonstration of the Nikola Two will be part of the Nikola World activities, and a functioning version of the company’s coming solar powered hydrogen fueling stations will be on display.

In the lead up to the Nikola World production, the zero-emissions trucking startup has made significant development headway, teased further product announcements, and built excitement around its brand. At the end of March, Nikola finalized a deal with Saint Holdings IPA acquiring 400 acres of prime development property of an up-and-coming vehicle manufacturing hub in Pinal County, Arizona. The manufacturing mega site will host the factory where Nikola’s Class 8 vehicles will be built once complete. For now, Fitzgerald Glider Kits is handling the initial truck manufacturing.

Nikola announced a $16 million-dollar equipment purchase (out of hundreds of millions planned) for its hydrogen fuel cell laboratory shortly after the Arizona land deal was made public. The technology already developed and utilized in the company’s demo trucks will continue to be improved upon at this lab, enabling Nikola to “set a new efficiency benchmark for heavy-duty fuel cell systems”, as described by CEO Trevor Milton in a press release about the investment.

Nikola has made a number of bold claims about the products it’s developing since the Nikola One’s unveiling in 2016. Nikola’s truck lineup itself is said to meet or exceed the performance provided by diesel-powered vehicles with 1,000 hp, up to 2,000 ft-lbs of torque, and around 1,000 miles of range. In response to claims that hydrogen production requires fossil fuels, the company stated that its fueling stations will primarily use renewable energy sources as will its manufacturing facilities. Along with committing to a clean energy, diesel-free future for transportation, Nikola is also working on making its products ready for full autonomous driving, all of which draw direct comparisons to its main rival, the Tesla Semi.

The hydrogen-electric truck company unveiled the Nikola One full-cab semi-truck prior to Tesla’s launch of its own commercial hauler, which should have given Nikola a time and development advantage; however, over the last year, the Arizona-based truck manufacturer has acquired the appearance of having fallen technologically behind.

The electric vehicle community has grown accustomed to seeing all-electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla’s continued success while also witnessing several electric startups disappear almost as quickly as they appeared. The lack of a near-production vehicle feeds the perception that Nikola’s “talk” won’t be translated into its “walk”, to borrow a common phrase. There are also doubts about the hydrogen fuel cell component of Nikola’s technology, something the company has addressed numerous time, doubling down on the viability of fuel cells as a better solution over batteries-only for long range trucking.

In contrast, the Tesla Semi test mule has been seen on public roads on several occasions, and Tesla has even released production-quality video of the semi-truck hauling its all-electric sedan and SUV brethren. Photos of the long-hauler making deliveries of those same vehicles to customers were also published by Tesla, furthering the narrative that significant progress is being made by the California-based car maker with its Semi.

Tesla itself is very familiar with the public relations climb. Every slip in production estimates, price change, or even odd tweet or two (etc.) from CEO Elon Musk draws the ire of critics and skepticism of fans alike. Musk’s tenacity, however, has given way to the phrase “Tesla Effect”. Due to Musk’s drive that helped lead to success at Tesla, any newcomers to the electric auto manufacturing industry are going to have to answer the question, “What are you doing that’s better?” Nikola Motors is no exception despite the primary business differences between the companies.

Nikola World 2019’s product announcements and battery-electric unveilings will serve to bring the company’s tangibility into view. Nikola also frequently communicates its gratitude for its supporters, and this week’s event is no different. An announcement was made via the company’s social media accounts that guests of Nikola World would be treated to a country music superstar performance during the first night of the event.

“SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT! We will be having a special country music superstar performing the night of the unveiling, you don’t want to miss it,” the company tweeted. Nikola World 2018 was the company’s first annual event, officially putting Nikola on the map of next generation, Class 8 truck manufacturers.