While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s data shows that gas-powered cars pose more of a fire risk than electric vehicles, lithium-ion battery fires still have the potential to happen.
Littelfuse’s groundbreaking temperature monitoring tech could make these rare incidents even rarer, helping to prolong the life of EV batteries and boost their performance, as noted by Interesting Engineering.
A promising Chicagoan company
The company’s TTape, based in Chicago, is thin and pressure-sensitive, which makes installation a breeze. It also handles temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C (-104°F to 185°F), proving that it can handle a heated situation. The “closely spaced temperature indicators” work like a smoke alarm for your battery, alerting you to potential overheating before any damage can happen, according to Interesting Engineering.
“TTape solves the problem of not being able to quickly spot hot spots in the battery,” explained Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine.
On top of that, this flexible tape can fit any battery shape. While most electric cars still use lithium-ion batteries, they come in different forms. Keyence Corporation points out that you’ll usually find cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch shapes in use. Looks like batteries come in all shapes and sizes, just like the cars they power!
Researchers are still working on improving how batteries are made, aiming for cleaner processes and more affordable technology. One of the newer ideas is salt-based batteries. And if a breakthrough in lithium-ion batteries leads to a totally new shape, TTape could still offer the same protection. Looks like TTape is flexible enough to stick around, no matter how the battery design evolves.
Making the battery last longer would also help lower the maintenance costs for electric vehicles (EVs), which are already cheaper to maintain than gas-powered cars that pump out pollution while driving. With global temperatures going up, it’s making it harder to grow food and allowing some diseases to spread more easily. So, in a way, keeping the planet cool might just be the best “drive” we can make.
“This game-changing solution completely transforms how we manage lithium-ion batteries,” Littelfuse explained in a video about the tech. They also mentioned that TTape works great for energy storage systems, which store clean, low-cost power from things like solar and wind. These systems make sure you’ve got power even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. So, in a way, TTape’s got you covered—rain or shine!
It’s main competitor: China
This news come after the recent release to the press of an iconic record in recharging: 10 minutes for a full, long lasting EV battery.
The IEA’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook pointed out that Chinese battery giant CATL developed the fast-charging Shenxing battery, which can add 400 km of range with just 10 minutes of charging. According to the IEA, this battery is expected to be available in electric vehicles later this year.
But the report was released before CATL’s latest update last month. Since then, the company unveiled the Shenxing Plus, a new version that can power a car for a whopping 600 miles before needing a recharge. Talk about going the extra mile!
With these new Chinese batteries, EVs would need to recharge a lot less often than most cars on the road today—and it would cost a lot less too.
What’s in an EV battery?
EV batteries rely on a mix of important minerals. The cathodes usually have compounds of nickel, lithium, manganese, cobalt, and iron, while the anodes are mostly made from graphite and silicon-based materials.
The IEA reports that China is leading the way in providing all these minerals. They even mentioned, “By 2030, more than 90% of battery-grade graphite and 77% of refined rare earths will come from China.” Looks like Beijing will be a worthy competitor to the Chicagoan company.
