Dive Brief:
- Volkswagen subsidiary PowerCo plans to start a new manufacturing process at battery cell production plants in Europe and North America, according to a press release Friday.
- The new method simplifies electrode production and eliminates the use of chemical solvents, industrial drying furnaces and suction systems for battery production.
- The new dry coating process could save millions of dollars in production costs and reduce energy consumption at EV battery factories by as much as 30%.
Dive Insight:
Coating and drying electrodes is the most energy-intensive step of battery production, according to PowerCo. The energy saved each year at a 20 GWh battery plant from the new dry coating process is equivalent to powering roughly 40,000 homes.
Other automakers are also experimenting with the dry coating process, including Tesla. In February 2019, Tesla filed an S4 registration statement with the SEC to acquire California battery startup Maxwell Technologies in an all-stock deal valued at $218 million. Maxwell was a developer of batteries, ultracapacitors and electrode dry-coating processes. In July 2021, however, San Diego-based UCAP Power, Inc. announced it acquired Maxwell Technologies.
This new dry method to powder coat electrodes uses heavy steel rollers to apply the conductive dry coating to battery electrodes. German printing machine company Koenig & Bauer and PowerCo will develop a roller press for powder coating electrodes at large industrial scale.
Using this method, the dry powder coating can be applied onto the foil in an extremely precise manner, which results in excellent “spatial energy density and a long life cycle, which improves fast-charging of the battery,” according to Volkswagen.
PowerCo is already testing the new process in a pilot line at a German lab.
“Our objective is to establish an industrial production of sustainable and affordable batteries,” said Thomas Schmall, chairman of PowerCo’s supervisory board and a Volkswagen board member.
Koenig & Bauer has an agreement with Volkswagen and PowerCo to retain exclusive rights for the technology. The details of the contracts remain confidential and are part of separate agreements.
The estimated start of series production is 2026-2027 at PowerCo battery factories in Germany, Spain and Canada.
Volkswagen launched PowerCo in July 2022. The subsidiary will be responsible for the automaker’s future global battery production.
