The Battery Show Wrap-up

September 16, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Materials, MI, Science, Sustainability, Technology, The Battery Show – Novi

With more than 700 companies exhibiting, the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo provides a hands-on opportunity to talk with EV and battery suppliers. (Image source: Design News)

Spending the better part of a week with more than 9,000 attendees at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan gives a pretty strong impression of where electrification of transportation is today, and more importantly, where it will be going tomorrow.

Growing Fast

First of all the show itself has grown—the Expo is now 20% larger than last year and more than 700 companies exhibit their products and technologies. There is an incredible variety of things to see—computer simulation software, battery test systems, connectors and cabling, battery packaging and venting systems, motors and controllers, chargers, and of course, battery cells and packs are on display. But, here is the thing—the days of garage hobbyists and “mom and pop” operations are gone. The battery and EV industries have become multi-billion dollar enterprises and the commercial professionals have taken over, and it shows.

Conferences and presentations at the show were divided into eight separate tracks and there were more than 150 speakers. Basic materials science, battery chemistry, charging systems, and EV market factors all get serious and critical examination by academic and industry experts. The talks are grouped into topics such as cell design, battery materials development, and EV and hybrid industry developments to aid show-goers in their choices.

Buses, Trucks, and Delivery Vehicles Lead The Way

Although EVs are still a very small part of the total automotive market in the US (between 2-3 %), there are certain segments that are beginning to show growth. During an Industry Leader’s Round Table on EV Growth, attendees learned that electric school buses are becoming popular. A school bus would seem in ideal EV application—the route is well-established, the speeds are low with lots of stop and go, and after an initial activity in the morning the bus sits unused (when it can recharge) until the end of the day. School districts are finding that the highly efficient electric buses can save, not only in fuel costs but also in reduced service and maintenance costs.

Another market that is rapidly growing is light delivery vehicles. FedEx, UPS, and others are buying fleets of electrically-powered trucks for urban package delivery. Once again, cost is the biggest driver as electrified trucks are proving themselves reliable and frugal in the field. The growing popularity of this segment was reflected in an increase in attendance in sessions dedicated to electrification of trucks and commercial and off-road equipment.

Actor and EV activist Ed Begley, Jr. leads a Roundtable panel discussion on EV Sustainability. (Image source: Design News)

Can EVs Be Sustainable?

The growth of the personal EV market in the US is not quite as robust. Ford’s Senior Technical Leader Bob Taenaka provided a Keynote Address on how carmakers will deliver on customers EV demands. The same topic was also addressed during an Industry Leader’s Roundtable dedicated to EV Sustainability. Auto industry analysts were questioned by actor, author, environmental activist, and noted electric vehicle early adopter Ed Begley, Jr. It was a wide-ranging discussion that included battery and vehicle costs, transitioning from current internal combustion gasoline-powered vehicles to EVS and how soon that is likely to occur in the US. Of particular interest was the conversation surrounding how automakers and unions will handle the disruption caused by vehicles that are much less labor-intensive to build, requiring fewer production-line workers. In addition, auto dealers will find their business changing dramatically, as the service requirements for EVs will be significantly less than current gasoline-powered vehicles.

New Materials

Research and development of new battery materials was also address in several session and during a Keynote Address by Mark Verbrugge, director, Chemical and Materials Systems Laboratory at General Motors. Verbrugge told his audience that a push toward Earth abundant materials and away from exotic elements could dramatically improve both battery performance and cost.

Another innovation that could improve battery performance was discussed during an Industry Leader’s Roundtable on Solid State Batteries. With representation from the University of Michigan, two battery manufacturers, and Ford and Toyota, the panel estimated production of the first solid state electrolyte batteries was just 3-5 years away. In fact, battery maker A123 broke the news during the session that it will convert its Romulus, Michigan battery plant to produce prototype solid state batteries before the end of 2019.

A Show of Optimism

Although the future of electrification of transportation in the US is complicated and difficult to predict, Design News editors detected a shared sense of optimism among battery show attendees. If nothing else, the number of new EVs that are scheduled to reach the market in the next year or two will provide more car-buying options—particularly as SUV and light truck EVs come available. There is also a strong consensus that battery cost will continue to fall and that a cost parity between EVs and gasoline-powered vehicle is just a couple years away. These factors, combined with many billions of dollars of investments by auto makers and suppliers means that electrification has moved from the fringes into an essential core part of the automobile industry.

The dates for The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2020, in Novi, Michigan will be September 15-17, 2020.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Heard At The Battery Show

September 13, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Materials, MI, Science, Technology, The Battery Show – Novi

More than 700 companies take part in The Battery Show in Novi, Michigan. (Image source: Design News)

With more than 9,000 attendees and 700 manufacturers, The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan has become one of the premiere venues for engineers, technologists, and industry leaders. As befitting its proximity to Detroit, the show has become the place to learn of new trends and directions, particularly in the electrification of transportation.

Breaking News

During the Leaders Roundtable on solid-state battery technology, Brian Sisk, vice-president of battery cell development at A123 Systems announced that the company would be building a prototype manufacturing facility at its Romulus, Michigan battery plant. The facility was originally expected to be closed and sold, however the company has now decided to use it to jump-start its solid-state battery efforts. A123 is working with Massachusetts-based Ionic Materials, whose polymer-based solid electrolyte will be used with graphite anodes and metal oxide cathodes. Sisk told Design News that the solid-state batteries can be built on commonly-used battery manufacturing equipment and that prototypes will be available for OEM testing before then end of the year.

What People Said

“The Jaguar I-PACE seems to be a step behind (the Tesla Model 3)”

Corey Steuben, account director, Munro & Associates

“Biggest miss? Why do we have three standards for charging?”

Christopher Michelbacher, EV charging & infrastructure manager, Audi of America

“All of you are irrelevant! The market is going to decide whether EVs are going to be successful!”

Ken Stewart, CEO Bright Road

“Different people have different thresholds for inconvenience.”

Bob Taenaka, senior technical leader in Electrified Vehicle Battery Cells and Systems, Ford Motor Company

“I have people tell me that they have never heard of wireless charging. Wireless gives you a more elegant solution.”

Michael Masquelier, CEO at WAVE, Inc.

“Technologies don’t go away—the incumbent factor is huge!”

Michael Sanders, senior advisor, Avicenne Energy

“There is a need for sustainable battery solutions based on Earth-abundant materials”

Mark Verbrugge, director, Chemical and Materials Systems Laboratory, General Motors

“If you take these high power packs and put them in stationary applications, you can use them to power wireless chargers.”

Greg Fritz, EV business unit manager, ACTIA

“Our chairman has said that we will have solid-state battery powered vehicles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.”

Timothy Arthur, principal scientist, Materials Research Department, Toyota Research Institute of North America

“Electric Vehicles can be an asset to the (power) grid”

Maureen Marshall, regional director, CALSTART

“EVs have gone from being “hip” and essentially a science project to being an essential core business.”

Ken Stewart, CEO Bright Road

“Retail customers may only use fast charging on longer trips—they might want a larger battery (then) so that they have to make less stops.”

Bob Taenaka, senior technical leader in Electrified Vehicle Battery Cells and Systems, Ford Motor Company

“There will be a lot of consolidation—but the large guys are going to win. The large guys aren’t going to let small guys take away their lunch!”

Michael Sanders, senior advisor, Avicenne Energy

“Batteries are like bacon—they are good in anything!”

Eli Paster, CEO, PolyJoule, Inc.

Here’s A New Concept

Dave Rich, whose job includes 12V – 48V Vehicle Electrification and Tech Development at General Motors, presented a paper titled “Dynamically Adjustable, Dual Voltage Batteries Without a DC/DC for Future Electrification.” GM has developed a way to provide both 12 volts and 48 volts from a single system. Called MODACS (Multiple Output Dynamically Adjustable Capacity System), the invention eliminates the need for a separate 12 volts battery in vehicles with 48-volt hybrid systems.

The system can provide any number of 12 volt and 48 volt sources, which mean that as a vehicle platform evolves and adds new functionality, the same MODACS can provide the required power outputs. It can also charge on 48 volts and discharge on 12 volts at the same time.

Rich also highlighted the potential to bring capacitors into the system—called Capacitor Assisted Battery (CAB). He told us that “In 12 volts, power is king, while in 48 volts energy is more important.” By adding the CAB, the best of both worlds is a possibility. Rich also noted that the system is robust. “An old CAB is actually stronger than a new LFP (lithium ion) battery,” he said.

Rich told Design News that General Motors has already filed more than 20 patents on MODACS, and expects many more to be filed in the coming year. He also told us that the concept isn’t limited to 48 volts and could be used with higher voltage systems.

Long term, the concept could be huge, as it removes the inefficiencies that come from DC to DC conversions and allows power and energy to be applied where and when it is needed.

The dates for The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2020, in Novi, Michigan will be September 15-17, 2020.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Motors Are As Important As Batteries In The World Of EVs

September 11, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo – Novi, Materials, MI, Science, Technology

A standing room only crowd attended Corey Steuben’s presentation on the Jaguar I-PACE and Tesla Model 3 motor configurations. (Image source: Design News)

As electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular, most attention has been focused on the different designs of the lithium ion battery packs that store the electrical energy used to power the vehicle. But there is more to an EV than a big battery and the electric traction motors, or motors, are actually what provide the driving force that turns the wheels.

At The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan, Corey Steuben, account director at Munro & Associates presented a talk titled “Tesla Model 3 vs. Jaguar I-PACE Motor Insights.” Munro has dissembled almost 400 of the presently available EVs and the evolution of these electric machines and the variety of different engineering designs has been at least as important as the improvements in EV performance that have come from progress on the lithium ion battery front.

A group of parts that display the motor configuration differences between the Jaguar I-PACE and the Tesla Model 3 (Image source: Design News)

Going For Greater Efficiency

“Some of the initial electric motors we saw, back around 2010, were using ferrite magnets, but we have seen a transition to rare earth magnets in IPM (interior permanent magnet) motors,” Steuben told Design News. “Tesla initially launched their Model S and X with induction motors that did not have the expensive rare earth magnets inside of the rotors themselves. We’ve seen with the Tesla Model 3 transition to using an IPM motor in the rear as well as an induction motor in the front, Steuben said. In general, IPM motors are considered to use electrical energy more efficiently, while induction motors can provide greater performance.

Steuben’s talk at The Battery Show compared and contrasted the motor and drivetrain technology between the Jaguar and Tesla EV models. “What we see Tesla doing, versus some of the other competitors is a high level of integration,” Steuben told us. “Jaguar has an ultra-complicated thermos-electric system, with disassociated modules throughout the car—they have multiple TXVs (thermal expansion valves) throughout the car. Tesla only has two TXVs,” he said. Munro has shown that additional weight and cost can come from having dissociated major power electronic components of an EV, largely because of the extra wiring and hoses that are required. “A high level of integration with Tesla allows them to be more efficient from a weight perspective and more efficient from a cost perspective,” Steuben told us. “The Jaguar I-Pace seems to be a step behind,” Steuben noted in his presentation.

“When it comes to motors, we see many different attempts across many manufacturers—particularly with the geometry of how they put the magnets into their internal permanent magnet motors. When you look at the ideal shape is actually very expensive to manufacture—it would be three or four sets of parabolic magnets. There is no common orientation. With the Jaguar, we see three stacked magnets, all neodymium-ferrite-born magnets which is similar to others in the magnet material. Tesla does a simple single V. We have seen six or seven variations in various forms.”

Shifts

“When it comes to paradigm shifts, Tesla pushed all serviceable fuses out of their vehicle and they pushed out the traditional park pawl—the electrically activated park pawl we have seen on every hybrid and EV on the market,” said Steuben. A park pawl is a metal hook that engages with a toothed gear to hold the vehicle stationary when it is parked—the Tesla eliminated the device and counts on the vehicle brakes when parked. “The cost of the park pawl is $30-55 when you take into account the manufacturing cost of the powder metal pieces, the springs, the returns, the electrically or hydraulically-actuated park pawl mechanism. That doesn’t exist in the Tesla Model 3…”

Steuben notes that the Tesla Model 3 also differs significantly from the Model S and Model X, which were designed for maximum performance. “The Tesla Model 3 brought the drivetrain to a different place where they could make money and it’s much further ahead than most other manufacturers.”

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Design News Webinar Focuses On The Tesla Battery Pack

September 6, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo – Novi, Electronics & Test, Materials, Materials & Assembly, MI, Science, Technology

Tesla, and its range of electric vehicles has proven to be a major disrupter to the world’s auto industry. With the introduction of the mainstream and relatively affordable Model 3 in 2017, the company has continued to prove that electric vehicles (EVs) can be both practical and fun to own and drive. The success of the Model 3 has other car companies scratching their head and wondering how Tesla has managed to build a desirable EV that is also profitable.

Sandy Munro has presented a webinar detailing his company’s tear-down of the Tesla Model 3 battery pack. (Image source: Munro & Associates)

A Webinar

As a way to begin to answer that question, Munro & Associates, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan has disassembled a Tesla Model 3. In a 60-minute Design News webinar, automotive engineers Sandy Munro and Mark Ellis of Munro & Associates take their audience through a teardown of the Model 3 battery. Details about the pack’s design, construction, cooling system, and cell technology, among other key areas are discussed. Munro uses photos and technical descriptions of virtually every component to provide an in-depth look at the Model 3’s battery system. They also explain how Tesla’s battery compares to the batteries of its closest competitors, the Chevy Bolt and BMW i3. The webinar is sponsored by ROHM Semiconductor and Vertex. The webinar can be found here.

The Tesla Model 3 battery pack consists of 4,416 lithium ion cells in the 2170 cylindrical configuration. The pack has two sets of modules. One set has 23 bricks made up from 46 cells per brick and the other set of modules has 25 bricks made up of 46 cells per brick. The pack produces nominally 350 volts. The cylindrical cells provide a weight advantage. “Tesla using the cylindrical batteries does not have the weight disadvantage that the BMW i3 and Chevrolet Bolt have,” Munro’s Ellis said.

Munro has found that the Model 3 battery pack has some interesting features that distinguish it from the battery packs used by other manufacturers. The high-voltage electronics are centrally located close to the battery, which allows less-expensive bus bars to carry the high voltage and current levels—significantly cheaper than the heavy electrical cables that most other competitors use to carry electrical energy to separated high-voltage components.

The bus bars have another potential advantage. “They are doing everything possible in this vehicle to eliminate, neutralize, any kind of vibration in the battery pack, the electronic systems that are related to the battery and these flexible buss bars I believe are one of the things that they use to help dampen any kind of vibration in the control circuitry,” said Ellis. Tesla also uses a thermally-conducting foam blanket that covers the individual cells to help prevent vibration.

In tearing down the Tesla Model 3, Munro & Associates have found a variety of instances where engineers working on different parts of the car clearly cooperated with one another to produce a superior product—something that is not always evident in vehicles built by other car companies. “Tesla has got a cultural thing going on, not just a technology thing,” noted Sandy Munro.

A Live Presentation

In addition to the webinar, if you want to know more about how Tesla compares to its competition, Munro & Associates will display two completely disassembled electric motors; one Tesla Model 3 internal permanent magnet (IPM) and one Jaguar I-PACE IPM, at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan, in a talk presented by Cory Steuben, Account Director at Munro & Associates. The intent of the 25-minute forum is to dive into the key differences between the executions of the IPM motor designs. Steuben will highlight the key differences in the geometry of the rotor and stator, the placement and retention of the magnets, and specific details about the magnet material compositions and manufacturing processes. He will be prepared to answer detailed questions concerning the skew angles, fill-rates, and material compositions of the various rotor and stator parts components.

The talk is titled “Tesla Model 3 vs. Jaguar I-PACE Motor Insights” and will be presented on Tuesday, September 10^th from 10:15 AM-10:40 AM.

Although EVs presently account for just 1-2% of the US market, there may be indications that electrification is gaining both public awareness and acceptance. Webinars and presentations by companies like Munro & Associates bring greater understanding of the engineering behind vehicles from Tesla, widely acknowledged to be the EV leader. Bringing such information to light will help other automakers improve their EV designs, or more effectively enter this expanding market.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Battery, EV/HV, & Stationary Power All in One Place.

Learn everything you need to know at our in-depth conference program with 70 technical sessions in eight tracks covering topics on battery, electric & hybrid vehicles, and stationary power technologies. A talk by Munro & Associates titled “Tesla Model 3 vs. Jaguar I-PACE Motor Insights” and will be presented on Tuesday, September 10th from 10:15 AM-10:40 AM.

The Battery Show. Sept. 10-12, 2019, in Novi, MI. Register for the event, hosted by Design News’ parent company Informa.

What Are The Keys To EV Success?

August 28, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo – Novi, Materials, MI, Science, Technology

GM’s Mark Verbrugge has been a part of battery research and electrification for more than three decades. His Keynote address at The Battery Show will highlight how cost and range are key to success for the EV market. (Image source: General Motors)

The two things most commonly mentioned that are holding back the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) is range and cost. Both of those areas are the subject of intense research by battery companies and auto manufacturers around the globe. Design News spoke with Mark Verbrugge, Director, Chemical and Materials Systems Laboratory at General Motors about the automaker’s efforts to find the magic that will let EVs travel farther and cost less. Verbrugge will provide one of the Keynote addresses at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan. His talk, titled “Standing on the Forefront of Battery Development” will be presented on Wednesday, September 11^th.

Verbrugge has been involved in battery technology and electrochemistry for his entire career. “I did my training and graduate school in electrochemistry,” he told us. “I went to UC Berkeley because they had a strong photovoltaic program—a strong clean energy emphasis in their college of chemistry,” he added.

A Long Background in EVs

When it came time to apply his electrochemistry background, Verbrugge’s timing was good. “I came directly to GM from graduate school. I worked in fuel cells to begin with, and then quickly transitioned to batteries, which were becoming more promising for (our) applications. That was the first ten years of my career, I started in 1985 and the next ten years I spent as chief engineer for our electric and hybrid electric programs,” he said. This was an exciting time for EVs as GM had just announced its first production electric vehicle, the EV-1. “I was chief engineer for the EV-1. I had the energy system management responsibilities—the propulsion system as well as the battery system,” Verbrugge said. After GM terminated the EV-1 (in 2003), Verbrugge continued development of battery chemistries and for the last ten years has been a director of research labs at GM.

With that background, Verbrugge has some well-defined ideas about how to move EVs forward. “(We need to use) earth abundant materials to get low cost, but also we have to work on fast charge, that has to be a big deal going forward—it really isn’t there today; it’s there in concept vehicles and demonstration vehicles—but in terms of high-volume pervasiveness, it’s not,” he told us.

Lower Cost With Longer Range

What are some of the lower cost materials under consideration and how can they be used? “Silicon is a major is a major emphasis for low cost materials, and it also enables fast charging. Today, all of negative electrodes are graphite. There is no pure silicon-based anode on the market. But, I think that will come in 5-10 years. Silicon is the most Earth-abundant material in the crust of the Earth,” Verbrugge said.

Silicon, at least on paper has some big advantages in replacing graphite as an anode material. “The capacity of silicon is about 4,000 milliampere-hours per gram (mAH/gm), while the capacity for graphite is about 372 mAH/gm. So, silicon can hold much more. The number of mAH is an indication of the amount of lithium that can be held. Silicon can hold much more lithium,” Verbrugge told us.

One problem however, that researchers report with silicon as an anode has been its large volume change when storing lithium ions during the charging of a battery. “Now, if you take all of that capacity, 4,000 mAH/gm, you get pulverization and cracking and a whole lot of stress issues in the batteries,” Verbrugge said.

But there is another way. “On the other hand, if you control the voltage limits, such that you use about half the capacity, about 2,000 mAH/gm, you still are way above the capacity we use of graphite today, which is about 340 mAH/gm. So we can operate at about 2,000 mAH/gm, get a significant cost reduction and a significant increase in coulombic capacity which translates to an energy density increase. For the same size and weight, you are going to get more mileage for the customer. Or you can use the same mileage as today in a lighter battery. The main thing with silicon that people are learning is don’t try to abuse the material and get too greedy with it. Use about half the capacity, then you are in good shape,” he said.

Building Infrastructure is Key

While GM is concentrating on building new EVs, it is also working with others to help grow the infrastructure that will be needed for a truly electrified transportation system. “There are a lot of public-private partnerships. I hope to foster collaboration, especially to get the charging infrastructure up and running. This is not the kind of thing you want to take onto your shoulders exclusively. To get infrastructure to move along, people have to have confidence that there are going to be vehicles as well. I’d like to encourage collaborations and investments in the space,” said Verbrugge.

The GM research director has a long-term view of how that space will grow. “I have to think gas stations are a lot more expensive than putting up a Level 2 charger in parking lots and distributed charging stations,” he said. “I think in the fullness of time, we will be much more rational—you will be able to charge anywhere, it will be monetized for those who are providing the chargers, it will be easy to understand, and it will be paid for with technologies that link to the car directly. It will be far less cents per mile for the driver, and far more efficient for society. Infrastructure is a big piece of that long-term view when we have high-volume electrification.”

Verbrugge’s Keynote address, titled ““Standing on the Forefront of Battery Development”” will cover cost, range, charging, and other topics. The talk will be presented on Wednesday, September 11^th at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan. He is looking forward to it. “I always get a lot of energy from these forums—I am among like-minded colleagues, typically. We are all trying to change the world and make it better. I went into this particular job area in part for that reason. So, I’ll get energy out of it. It will be fun!”

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Battery, EV/HV, & Stationary Power All in One Place.

Learn everything you need to know at our in-depth conference program with 70 technical sessions in eight tracks covering topics on battery, electric & hybrid vehicles, and stationary power technologies.

The Battery Show. Sept. 10-12, 2019, in Novi, MI. Register for the event, hosted by Design News’ parent company Informa.

Ford’s Bob Taenaka Looks At EVs' Big Picture

August 27, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo – Novi, MI, Science, Sustainability, Technology

Bob Taenaka has been directly involved in every one of Ford’s electrified vehicles to date. His Keynote address at The Battery Show will highlight how battery technology is helping to lead the EV market. (Image source: Ford Motor Company)

Bob Taenaka is a Senior Technical Leader in Electrified Vehicle Battery Cells and Systems at Ford Motor Company, responsible for battery cell technology and battery system performance in support of Ford’s present and near-term future production hybrid and electric vehicles.

“I’m looking at the big picture—what are the demands of electrified vehicles for the future. Having the electrified vehicles that people really want,” Taenaka told Design News. “It’s the technology and capability that will pull the vehicles. These are advanced electrified vehicles and not regulatory push that says we need to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy and less dependence on fossil fuels,” he added.

Taenaka will provide one of the Keynote Addresses at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan. His talk, titled “Gateways to the Future: Delivering on Electrified Vehicle Demands” will be presented on Tuesday, September 10^th.

Sitting on a Precipice

“It’s actually quite exciting for me because I have been at Ford since 2001, so I’ve seen electrified vehicles expand to where we are right on a precipice where electric vehicles will really take off in the next decade,” said Taenaka. Prior to joining Ford in 2001, Taenaka spent 18 years with Hughes Space & Communications, serving as battery engineer for the Galileo Probe mission to Jupiter, was principal investigator or program manager for several nickel-hydrogen and sodium-sulfur battery development efforts, and held responsibility for in-orbit support on battery usage for satellite customers and ground stations. Rocket science, in other words.

Moving into electrification of transportation will take several steps. “There is a nuance,” Taenaka told us. “There are electric vehicles that are either battery or fuel cell—fully electrically powered. Then there are electrified vehicles which include those, but also include hybrid-type vehicles where you have a gas engine and an electric motor,” he said.

“A lot of industry experts have different projections. In the next ten years, I’d say, some say that electric vehicles may be 25-50% of the total vehicle market,” Taenaka explained to Design News. “As of today, I think the number is maybe around 1-3%, in that ballpark. The battery electric vehicle and also the full hybrid and plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids—a lot of these are geared to help reduce the level of CO2 emissions generated from the transportation sector. I’d say that’s where the regulatory push comes from. So not only the push but also the pull from having the performance.”

Pull as Important as Push

Taenaka thinks that having the right kind of vehicles will create this consumer-generated pull. “Having an enhanced capability will mean that people will want to purchase these advanced electrified vehicles—not only for the sense of environmental responsibility for the customer that’s driving the vehicle, but also having the advanced technology that makes their drive even more enjoyable and exciting,” he said.

Many think that reaching significant market penetration for EVs will only occur when there is cost parity with internal combustion engine vehicles. “The combination of vehicle range and vehicle cost has been one of the big obstacles to lot of people wanting to get electric vehicles in the past. The market is increasing, but to get to the level of market where states such as California are mandating, requires the vehicle costs, in particular the battery cost be reduced significantly. There have been tremendous strides that have taken place in the last 20 years on battery technology, and battery cost. Having vehicle cost parity, or even lower vehicle cost compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, that’s where you are going to have a big uptick in customer demand,” Taenaka told us.

“Having similar range and similar or lower cost, equal or better capability and features—I think that’s really what drives the market,” he added.

“Since I started at Ford, the vehicle range has always been dictated by how much battery you can fit into the vehicle. And that’s another change I see happening in the next decade or so—the energy density of battery cell technology is going to be at the point where the vehicle designs will no longer be constrained by packaging the battery. We’ll start making the battery a little bit smaller and start providing other features that will fit into the space that is presently filled up by the batteries.” “It’s the combination of the range, the charging time, and the battery cost and dimensions,” said Taenaka.

Decoupling Demand From the Cost of Oil

Because Taenaka and has played a key role in battery development for each of Ford’s production electrified vehicle models launched to date, he has seen the ups and downs in the demand for EVs. “Customer desires are highly dependent upon a number of external factors. In the past, gas prices have tremendously driven the selection of big trucks and SUVs versus smaller fuel-efficient cars. When we had spikes in gas prices, consumers went with smaller cars so that their transportation costs would not be excessive. I think today people are becoming more immune to the fluctuations in gas prices and so we are tending to see more customers wanting larger vehicles,” he said.

Interestingly, because oil prices have only a secondary effect on the price of electricity, wider-spread adoption of EVs, particularly larger SUVs and pickup trucks that are on several carmaker horizons, may push buyers further away from small cars. Renewable energy might disconnect the size of the vehicle you choose from the cost of gasoline. “Geothermal, wind, and solar are not so prone to (oil) price fluctuations. I would expect the price (of electricity) to be much more stable than you would ever have with fossil fuels. Having electric vehicles plays right into that.”

Taenaka’s Keynote Addresses, titled “Gateways to the Future: Delivering on Electrified Vehicle Demands” will cover many of these topics in greater detail. The talk will be presented on Tuesday, September 10^th at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, in Novi, Michigan.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Battery, EV/HV, & Stationary Power All in One Place.

Learn everything you need to know at our in-depth conference program with 70 technical sessions in eight tracks covering topics on battery, electric & hybrid vehicles, and stationary power technologies.

The Battery Show. Sept. 10-12, 2019, in Novi, MI. Register for the event, hosted by Design News’ parent company Informa.

Ed Begley, Jr. Brings a Passion To EVs

August 27, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, MI, Science, Technology, The Battery Show – Novi

Ed Begley, Jr. has been driving EVs for more than 50 years and will share his experiences at The Battery Show in Novi, Michigan. (Image source: Ed Begley, Jr.)

Ed Begley, Jr. is an actor who has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is most recognized for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). Beyond his career as an actor, Begley became an ardent environmentalist in the early 1970s and his commitment to living green brought him to a passion for electric vehicles (EVs).

It is that passion that will provide the background as Mr. Begley provides one of the Keynote Addresses at The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019, on September 12^th in Novi, Michigan. Begley will share his experiences as, over the past 50 years, he has been a staunch advocate for electrification of transportation.

Starting Early

“I’m an early adopter—I bought my first electric car in 1970, so I have a certain amount of knowledge about such things,” Begley told Design News. “It was as primitive as you can imagine—it was an electric vehicle made by a company called Taylor-Dunne. They still make electric cars today. When I say electric car, I am being quite grand. It was a golf cart with a windshield wiper and a horn. It didn’t have a high top speed—about 20 mph—and the range was about 20 miles,” he added.

Aside from his bicycle, the crude electric vehicle was Begley’s major mode of transportation. “Living in the San Fernando Valley, it was a good vehicle to get around with when it was too smoggy or too rainy, or when I had something big to carry that was too much for my bicycle, or to take on the bus,” he said. But the EV was a revelation in some ways. “I suddenly had a car that was not only good for the environment, but it was good for my pocket book. It was so much cheaper to charge it than it was to buy 1970 gasoline,” said Begley.

Becoming More Practical

Eventually, as Begley’s success as an actor grew and his environmentalism further developed he was able to buy more practical electrified transportation. “I bought a conversion car in 1990, a 1973 Subaru,” he told us. “The guy was real electrical whiz—he had built his own controller out of Radio Shack parts and what have you—and I bought that car for $1700 dollars! I put in a state-of-the-art Curtis controller, and upped the battery voltage from 36-volts to 72-volts, and suddenly had a vehicle that could go on the freeway!”

Later, Begley spent $10,000 for a VW Rabbit that had been converted to electric. “The guy built it specifically for me. I drove that car for about four years, and sold it for $10,000—exactly what I paid for it,” he said.

Begley was among the first to get a new GM EV-1 when the company introduced its first electric vehicle. “When the (GM) EV-1 came out in 1996, I hopped on that because they had airbags for safety and it was built by a real car company. I had that for three years, the first lead-acid battery one, and then I drove the 1999 version of the EV-1 (with improved batteries) for three years. I could see the writing on the wall that they (GM) were going to crush them, so I switched into a (Toyota) RAV-4 in 2001, before Toyota started to get rid of those too,” said Begley.

Begley drove his RAV-4 from 2001 until 2014 and had to replace the battery pack once during that time. Next, he got a Nissan Leaf (in 2014), and claims that 5 years later the batteries are, “still in great shape.”

Making Everything Green

It hasn’t just been his transportation that Begley wanted to be green. He installed solar hot water in his house in 1985 and added PV electric solar panels to his house in 1995. More recently he has built a new home to LEED-Platinum certification—which architects recognize as possessing the highest levels of energy efficiency and responsibility. Begley is a man who lives his convictions.

Begley’s Keynote address is titled “Electric Vehicle Sustainability: Overcoming Barriers & Resistance” and will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 12. What does the actor want to tell a room that is largely filled with engineers? “I want to share with them my personal experience about the financial ramifications of adopting all of these green measures in my home,” he said. “It’s all been good for my pocketbook. There is an economic case to be made for doing this green stuff,” he added.

With such a long perspective on the ups and downs of the EV market, Begley is optimistic about the near-term future. “I think the market is going to step up at some point, and make a nice selection of vans and pickup trucks that are fully electric,” he told us. “I think that day is coming and soon because people want those vehicles. If you can give people a proper experience with that kind of vehicle with a proper range, cost, and performance, and reliability, and it’s electric, I think a lot of people would give electric a try.”

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Battery, EV/HV, & Stationary Power All in One Place.

Learn everything you need to know at our in-depth conference program with 70 technical sessions in eight tracks covering topics on battery, electric & hybrid vehicles, and stationary power technologies.

The Battery Show. Sept. 10-12, 2019, in Novi, MI. Register for the event, hosted by Design News’ parent company Informa.

Nickel May Be Limiting Material

August 16, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Battery/Energy Storage, Electronics & Test, Materials, MI, Science, Sustainability, Technology, The Battery Show – Novi

Supplying raw materials for the increasing volumes of electric vehicles (EVs) produced worldwide is a source of growing concern among battery and vehicle manufacturers. It should be no surprise that one primary worry is the volatility in availability of the lithium that is used in lithium ion batteries. Although the supply chains for mining and processing the material are somewhat convoluted, the general sense among industry experts is that there is presently an oversupply of lithium, which will act, over the short term, to keep prices stable, if not pushing them into a decline. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, however, the same cannot be said for nickel.

So Many Uses

Nickel is an amazing useful material. The metal is both corrosion resistant and a good electrical conductor, particularly when mixed with copper. Nickel has excellent high temperature resistance which come into play in applications that include jet engines and gas turbines. In lithium ion batteries, nickel metal is often used as the electrical conductor between cells. It is also one of the primary ingredients in a lithium ion battery cathode (positive electrode).

A rechargeable lithium ion battery consists of two electrodes that are immersed in an electrolyte solution and that are separated by a permeable polymer membrane. When the battery is being charged, the lithium ions pass from the positive cathode electrode, through the polymer membrane, to the negative anode electrode. During discharging, the lithium ions travel back from the anode to the cathode, in the process giving up electrons to the anode which travel via an external circuit to power an electronic device before returning via the circuit to the cathode.

Carbon graphite is the most common anode electrode material as it has an ordered layered structure that can accommodate and store the small lithium ions between its layers. Because the working voltage of a battery is determined by the difference in electrochemical potential between the cathode and the anode, the cathode must be another material than graphite, and the choice of this material controls most of the performance characteristics of the lithium ion battery. That’s where nickel, or at least its oxide, comes into the picture.

Lithium ion battery Megafactory projected raw material demand in tonnes. Note the increase in anticipated demand for nickel. (Image source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence)

Nickel’s Use in Cathodes

The cathode electrode stores the lithium ions through electrochemical intercalation—a process by which the lithium ions are inserted into or removed from lattice sites within the cathode material structure. Compounds chosen for cathodes are commonly oxides made from transition metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, iron, chromium, zinc, or manganese. The role of the transition metal element in the cathode is to compensate for the charge when the lithium ion arrives or departs.

Nickel is used to create an intercalation structure for the battery cathode. But, if you remove significant amounts of lithium out of a nickel-oxide structure, it will release large amounts of oxygen, which can be a fire hazard. Other oxides must be added to help create stability. Aluminum, which likes to hold onto oxygen, can be added to the structure for example to reduce the hazard. It stabilizes the structure, but it lowers the capacity of the cell by a small amount. Cobalt is also frequently added to the cathode material to help stabilize the structure, but is costly and is sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region of significant political instability. The cells developed by Panasonic and Tesla for its vehicles have so-called NCA chemistry, Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum. Others use manganese and/or iron to help stabilize the structure, but the central ingredient in current commercial lithium ion battery cathodes is nickel.

Demand Versus Supply

Supply of the high-purity material used in batteries, known as class-one nickel, faces some real concerns—demand is likely to outstrip supply within five years, primarily due to increasing demand in the EV industry, according to Bloomberg (BNEF). Demand from lithium-ion batteries is forecast to increase by a factor of about 16 times to 1.8 million tons of contained metal by 2030, according to a BNEF July report. From the Bloomberg report, “Batteries will account for more than half of demand for class one nickel by that date, shifting a market that’s currently focused on stainless steel.”

Nickel is not a particularly scarce metal and is often found in the same locations as copper deposits. Mining nickel tends to be environmentally concerning as it involves leaching of the metal from ores using strong acids. These environmental concerns have held up the opening of a copper and nickel mine adjacent to the environmentally sensitive Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota, for example.

Nickel prices in London have increased by more than a third thus far in 2019 and in July reached the highest level in more than a year. It is expected that increasing future battery demand will continue to push prices higher.

Nickel producers are responding with more output. According to Bloomberg, “Perth-based Independence last year increased nickel output from its Nova mine in Western Australia by about a quarter and is spending as much as A$75 million ($51 million) on exploration in an effort to extend the asset’s life and find new deposits.”

In June, Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., said the nickel market faces a deficit of 51,000 tons in 2019, raising an earlier forecast. Bloomberg reports that last month, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. Confirmed that it will reopen its Ravensthorpe mine in Western Australia in the first quarter of 2020 amid the strength of interest from potential nickel and cobalt customers. The mine was closed in a soft market for nickel in 2017.

As with lithium and cobalt, two other materials whose supply seems at times precarious, the increasing demand for nickel from battery makers will depend almost entirely on how quickly the EV market grows. In the US, the demand for EVs is only just starting to register on the automotive market, while in places like China, Canada, and some parts of Europe (Norway), electric vehicles are showing substantial growth. Whether nickel producers can keep up with the growing demand could be just one more stumbling block in the inevitable path to electrification of transportation.

Raw materials supply will be among the topics at the The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019 conference that will take place in Novi, Michigan on September 10-12, 2019. Four days, eight tracks, and over 80 sessions, curated by industry experts will bring battery and electric vehicle technologies into clear focus.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Drive World with ESC Launches in Silicon Valley

This summer (August 27-29), Drive World Conference & Expo launches in Silicon Valley with North America’s largest embedded systems event, Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). The inaugural three-day showcase brings together the brightest minds across the automotive electronics and embedded systems industries who are looking to shape the technology of tomorrow.

Will you be there to help engineer this shift? Register today!

EVs Are Made Of This- REDUX

August 7, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Automotive, Battery/Energy Storage, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo – Novi, Electronics & Test, MI, Science, Technology

Here (once again) are 8 crucial parts that make up an electric vehicle (EV)

Introduction

Last year Design News published this description of the parts that make up an electric vehicle (EV). As EVs are finally reaching the mainstream, the information here is more important than ever. Just a couple years ago, most EVs, aside from those produced by EV pioneer Tesla, were small commuter cars whose range was limited to less than 100 miles. But now, a whole group of new medium-sized EVs are joining Tesla with sedans and crossover sport-utility vehicles that can go more than 250 miles on a single charge.

Even if you know how a gasoline engine works, EVs bring a whole new set of components, and a different language to describe them. If you are shopping for an EV, or might be in the near future, it could be helpful to know what the different pieces and systems do in a modern electric vehicle.

Here are eight of the major parts that make up an EV. Reading about them won’t provide you with a degree in electrical engineering, but it might help you understand how this exciting new technology works.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

(Image source: Tesla)
Traction Battery

Lithium ion batteries power electric vehicles. There are several different configurations (small cylindrical cells, pouch cells, prismatic cells). There are also several different chemistries (particularly for the cathode materials). Individual cells are combined together to create battery modules and groups of modules are combined to produce a battery pack. All together there could be several thousand individual battery cells in an EV’s pack. The voltage of a typical pack is in the 300-400 volt range. Lithium ion batteries require careful monitoring of the temperature and voltage of each cell and must be continuously balanced to avoid degraded performance and short pack life. The size of a pack is given by the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy that it can hold. A typical EV pack might hold 60-150 kWh. Some packs are air-cooled while others are liquid-cooled. Battery packs are extremely heavy (well over 1,000 pounds) and are often placed low, under the vehicle floor, to produce a low center of gravity to enhance handling performance. The bigger the pack, the further you can go.

(Image source: Jaguar)
Battery Management System (BMS)

A lithium ion pack requires the individual cell temperatures and voltages to be monitored. This is accomplished through the Battery Management System (BMS). During charging the BMS ensures that the cells have the same voltage level (usually within 0.01 volts). Without a BMS, it might be possible for one cell to dramatically overcharge, potentially causing a danger from fire or explosion. During discharge, without a BMS, it might be possible for one cell to underperform, requiring the others in a module to be drained too quickly, or at too high a rate. When you consider that a BMS has to keep track of hundreds or even thousands of battery cells and modules, the technology seems impressive. The BMS keeps your EV safe.

(Image source: Chevrolet)
DC to DC Converter

The high-voltage traction battery does the heavy lifting of propelling the vehicle. But the majority of an EV’s electrical system is actually powered by a 12-volt lead-acid battery, similar to the starting battery in a gasoline-powered vehicle. The 12-volt system operates the lights, horn, blower motors, and most of the computer systems that control the electric drive. A DC to DC Converter takes some of the energy from the 300-volt traction battery and converts it to 12-volts to run all the systems and keep the on-board 12-volt battery fully charged. On some EVs the traction battery also powers the heating and cooling system. It takes advantage of the power available to quickly make the cabin more comfortable.

(Image source: Exide)
Controller

The EV controller is an electronic microprocessor that takes driver’s inputs such as accelerator or brake pedal application and turns them into signals that transmit (usually along a CAN/BUS communications line) to the power electronics in the inverter that provide power to the motor. In many ways, the controller acts as an electronic brain, accepting inputs from the vehicle and requests from the driver and determining how to best instruct the motor to respond. The way in which the controller is programmed makes your EV drive the way it does.

(Image source: Volkswagen)
Inverter

Early electric vehicles often used brushed-DC motors that would operate on the direct current produced by the batteries and moderated by the controller. More recently, brushless DC (BLDC) motors, also known as synchronous DC, or even AC motors have arrived. Instead of direct current, they operate on alternating current. This alternating current is produced by the inverter, which takes direct current from the battery and changes it into alternating current that is used to power the BLDC motor. The frequency of the AC current determines the speed at which the motor spins. The inverter has a position sensor on the motor that allows it to time its current impulses to the motor to keep the motor spinning and producing the torque necessary to move the vehicle. The inverter takes its commands from the controller and converts them into signals for the motor. The inverter contains high-level power electronics, capable of providing several hundred volts and several hundred amps to the motor. The more robust the inverter, the more efficient and reliable your EV.

(Image source: Audi A.G.)
Traction Motor

The brushless DC (BLDC) motor is used in almost all modern EVs. It is more efficient and operates at a higher speed than the traditional brushed DC motor that the original EVs used. A typical BLDC motor has a stator, or rotor, that contains four to eight permanent magnets and that spins in the center section of the motor. The stator is surrounded by a series of electric coils that make up the commutator. The inverter provides energy to the coils in such a way that they become electromagnets that oppose the magnetism in the permanent magnets, producing motion. By timing the motion properly, the motor spins. The permanent magnets are often made with so-called rare-earth elements such as niobium or neodymium. Because electric motors produce their maximum torque at zero rpm, the motor often does not require a transmission, but can be used with direct drive, or through a gear reduction system. Some EVs use a single motor, powering the front or rear wheels. Others use a pair of motors, one at gthe front and one at the rear to create all-wheel drive. Occasionally, three motors are employed, two powering the rear wheels and one powering both the front wheels. It is also possible to build motors into the wheels, providing four motors, one for each wheel position. Motor cooling can be accomplished either by air-cooling or liquid cooling. The more power (in kilowatts, or kW) your EV produces, the more performance it will provide you, provided the cooling system is capable of keeping the motor temperature in check.

(Image source: Audi A.G.)
Regenerative Braking

One way EVs produce high levels of efficiency is by capturing energy normally lost to heat during braking. When a vehicle slows down, the motor can operate as a generator, producing electricity at the same time it slows the vehicle. The electrical energy produced by the regenerative braking can be applied to the battery, helping to recharge it slightly. The amount of regenerative braking can be adjusted (using the controller) to provide a significant reduction in speed without using the vehicle’s normal hydraulic brakes. Regenerative braking can add more than 20% to the vehicle range during stop and go driving in the city. Some EVs have aggressive regenerative braking, allowing nearly one-pedal driving where you almost never need to touch the brake pedal.

(Image source: Jaguar)
Chargers and Charging

Most EVs have an on-board charger that is capable of plugging into normal 120-volt household current (Level 1 charging) or into a special 220-volt line (Level 2 charging) that is wired into the home garage circuit. Onboard chargers are limited by the amount of current that the home circuits can provide. Typical level 1 charging can produce 1.9 kilowatts (kW) of power and provides about 4 miles of range for every hour of charging. Level 2 charging is generally limited to 3.3 kW to 6.6 kW and can provide up to 20 miles of range for every hour of charging. Fast DC charging, also called Level 3 charging, is also possible for some EVs. In this case a special plug sends direct current directly into the battery at power levels of 150 kW or greater. A Level 3 charger can add 50-150 miles of range in a half an hour of charging. At the very least you need Level 2 charging at home to ensure your EV has a “full tank” every morning. If you want to make any long trips in your EV, Level 3 charging capability is a must.

(Image source: Siemens)

Drive World with ESC Launches in Silicon Valley

This summer (August 27-29), Drive World Conference & Expo launches in Silicon Valley with North America’s largest embedded systems event, Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). The inaugural three-day showcase brings together the brightest minds across the automotive electronics and embedded systems industries who are looking to shape the technology of tomorrow.

Will you be there to help engineer this shift? Register today!

Tesla’s Megapack Aids In Renewable Energy Adoption

August 6, 2019 • Alternative Energy, Battery/Energy Storage, Materials, MI, Science, Sustainability, Technology, The Battery Show – Novi

Last year, Design News reported on, what was then, the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in Hornsdale, South Australia, built using Tesla Powerpack batteries. The facility saved nearly $40 million in its first year and has helped to stabilize and balance the region’s previously problematic power grid.

The use of battery storage is transforming the ability of global electricity grids to adapt to the transient nature of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. But for such carbon-free resources to work on a utility scale requires massive battery storage projects, on the scale of Hornsdale. To meet the need, Tesla has designed and engineered a new battery product specifically for utility-scale projects: it is called Megapack.

Tesla’s new Megapack will be used to provide utility-level support to help integrate solar and wind renewable power into large-scale power grids. (Image source: Tesla)

Reducing the Complexity

The goal of Megapack is to significantly reduce the complexity of large-scale battery storage, while providing an easy installation and grid inter-connection process. The Megapack comes from the factory fully-assembled—each with up to 3 megawatt hours (MWhs) of storage and 1.5 MW of inverter capacity. According to a Tesla news release, “Using Megapack, Tesla can deploy an emissions-free 250 MW, 1 Gigawatt hour (GWh) power plant in less than three months on a three-acre footprint—four times faster than a traditional fossil fuel power plant of that size.” The Megapack system can also be DC-connected directly to solar, reducing the losses incurred when converting to AC current.

Tesla developed its own software in-house to control and monitor Megapack systems. Megapacks all connect to Powerhub, a system that Tesla calls, “…an advanced monitoring and control platform for large-scale utility projects and microgrids.” Powerhub can, “…also integrate with Autobidder, Tesla’s machine-learning platform for automated energy trading.” According to the company, Tesla customers have already used Autobidder to dispatch more than 100 GWh of energy in global electricity markets. The company also points out that Megapack will continue to improve through a combination of over-the-air and server-based software updates, much like Tesla pioneered with its electric vehicles.

Taking All Tesla Knows

Tesla will install a Megapack in the upcoming Moss Landing project in California with PG&E. The Megapack will act as an alternative to natural gas “peaker” that fires up when the local utility grid can’t provide enough power to meet peak demand. A Megapack installation can be used to store excess solar or wind energy and to then kick in when a peaker is needed to support the grid’s peak loads.

Tesla describes the Megapack this way: “We took everything we know about battery technology to enable the world’s largest energy projects. A 1 Gigawatt hour (GWh) project provides record energy capacity—enough to power every home in San Francisco for 6 hours.”

Critical Power and infrastructure will be among the topics at the The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2019 conference that will take place in Novi, Michigan on September 10-12, 2019. Four days, eight tracks, and over 80 sessions, curated by industry experts will bring battery and electric vehicle technologies into clear focus.

Senior Editor Kevin Clemens has been writing about energy, automotive, and transportation topics for more than 30 years. He has masters degrees in Materials Engineering and Environmental Education and a doctorate degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics. He has set several world land speed records on electric motorcycles that he built in his workshop.

Drive World with ESC Launches in Silicon Valley

This summer (August 27-29), Drive World Conference & Expo launches in Silicon Valley with North America’s largest embedded systems event, Embedded Systems Conference (ESC). The inaugural three-day showcase brings together the brightest minds across the automotive electronics and embedded systems industries who are looking to shape the technology of tomorrow.

Will you be there to help engineer this shift? Register today!