US Department of Energy

Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries

Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by wind and solar.

Hanergy completes acquisition of Alta Devices

Hanergy Holding Group Limited announced that it has completed the acquisition of Alta Devices, whose thin film solar technology has a conversion efficiency of 30.8 percent, the highest among the solar energy technologies currently available in the world.

Electric bacteria - it's not what it seems

For the past 10 years, scientists have been fascinated by a type of "electric bacteria" that shoots out long tendrils like electric wires, using them to power themselves and transfer electricity to a variety of solid surfaces. A team led by scientists at USC has now turned the study of these bacterial nanowires on its head, discovering that the key features in question are not pili, as previously believed.

To bolster lithium battery life, add a little salt

Engineers have achieved a breakthrough in the race for safer, longer-lasting batteries to power the world's automobiles, cell phones, computers and autonomous robots.

Running on waste heat

Researchers have now created a thermoelectric generator (TEG) — a one-square-inch, quarter-inch-thick module — that turns waste heat emitted by vehicles into electricity to lend those vehicles added power.

Nanoscale details of electrochemical reactions in EV battery materials

Using a new method to track the electrochemical reactions in a common electric vehicle battery material under operating conditions, scientists have revealed new insight into why fast charging inhibits this material's performance.

EV Battery and Supercapacitor

IDTechEx has visited many supercapacitor manufacturers and interviewed several professors who have presented at IDTechEx events on the subject. This article highlights some of our findings from those interviews.

Wetting a battery's appetite for renewable energy storage

A new electrode enables sodium-beta batteries to last longer, helps streamline their manufacturing process and reduces the risk of accidental fire.

Generating electricity from humidity

Last year, MIT researchers discovered that when water droplets spontaneously jump away from superhydrophobic surfaces during condensation, they can gain electric charge in the process. Now, the same team has demonstrated that this process can generate small amounts of electricity that might be used to power electronic devices.

$7.7 million contract for advanced EV battery technology development

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a collaborative organization operated by Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors,has announced the award of a $7.7 million advanced battery technology development contract for electric vehicle applications to Envia Systems.

Battery companies to build highest energy density lithium battery

Joint Venture to produce a new line of safe ultra-high performance lithium ion batteries for consumer electronic devices, power tools, and electric vehicles (EVs).

The Rise of Thin, Flexible and Printed Batteries

IDTechEx has studied the technologies and markets for thin film, flexible and/or printed batteries. IDTechEx will disseminate its key findings. Here, IDTechEx will qualitatively benchmark the different technologies that fall under its categorization including single use zinc batteries, printed zinc-based rechargeable batteries, thin film lithium ion and lithium metal batteries.

A look inside SLAC's battery lab

A team of scientists is making and testing new types of lithium-ion batteries. Their goal: create a battery five times better than the ones we use today.

Can the world's most promising electric-car battery be saved?

Over the last half-dozen years, a swarm of companies from around the world including General Motors has snapped up licenses for a lithium-ion electrode that promised to deliver the next big step in making electric cars competitive with conventional vehicles.

New Energy Technologies Inc

New Energy Technologies (NET) develops patent portfolios around renewable energy technologies and seeks to license them out. They are a small operation but are a publicly-traded company. NET is primarily focused on developing and commercializing IP around the use of organic photovoltaics in the BIPV sector.

Silicon sponge improves lithium-ion battery performance

The lithium-ion batteries that power our laptops and electric vehicles could store more energy and run longer on a single charge with the help of a sponge-like silicon material.

How to make more efficient fuel cells

Fuel cells use oxygen and hydrogen as fuel to create electricity; if the process were run in reverse, the fuel cells could be used to store electricity, as well.

Supercapacitors for electric vehicles are gaining traction

The replacement of batteries means grabbing a chunk of the lithium-ion battery market in particular but also inroads into lead-acid and nickel metal hydride territory.

STMicroelectronics-Thin Film Batteries

STMicroelectronics is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with net revenues of US$ 8.08 billion in 2013. They recently launched their new product--rechargeable thin film batteries. This profile focuses only on that aspect.

Partnership to reduce cost of automotive fuel cells

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and General Motors are partnering on a multiyear, multimillion dollar joint effort to accelerate the reduction of automotive fuel cell stack costs through fuel cell material and manufacturing research and development.