Wednesday 30 April 2025 - Sodium-Ion Batteries: Navigating the Path to Commercial Maturity. The following aspects will be addressed: Impact of historically low lithium prices on sodium-ion's economic viability; Alternative value propositions beyond cost, including material availability and application-specific advantages; Sodium-ion battery players and commercialisation efforts; and IDTechEx outlook for sodium-ion batteries by 2030

The lithium metal battery market is gaining ever-growing interest due to the enhanced energy density of lithium when compared with graphite anodes. This could be particularly important within one of the main applications for this technology, the electric vehicle market, which currently represents the largest sector for global battery demand.

Fire safety continues to be a key topic for electric vehicles (EVs) as the market continues to grow. In this article, IDTechEx discusses the different types of EV battery chemistry and its impact on thermal runaway safety.

Lithium-sulfur is already seeing development across multiple continents and is expected to achieve mass production by 2033. IDTechEx predicts that by 2035, the lithium-sulfur market will exceed US$1.3 billion.

Battery raw materials are in the spotlight as lithium-ion demand surges alongside growing emphasis on sustainability. Variations in material emission intensities suggest that major decarbonization opportunities exist in raw materials sourcing.

Second-life EV battery assessments can be carried out using diagnostic tools and software, with some newer approaches taking just ten minutes instead of a few hours with regular cycling methods. Second-life battery repurposing and accurate battery health assessments will become increasingly important alongside the growing availability of end-of-life (EOL) EV batteries.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are heralded as a transformative innovation in energy storage (ES), offering numerous advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries. These benefits position SSBs as a cornerstone of the next generation of battery technologies, with the potential to reshape industries reliant on ES.

The global market for Li-ion battery cells alone is forecast to exceed US$400 billion by 2035. This article highlights the importance of cathode materials and next-generation Li-ion technologies in improving battery performance and diversifying Li-ion battery material supply chains.

Thursday 17 April 2025; Self-Healing Materials: Commercial Success or Academic Novelty? An introduction to self-healing materials and mechanisms; Materials science considerations for self-healing materials; Assessment of the applications driving self-healing materials R&D and the likelihood of commercial success

In the first of this new series, IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Shazan Siddiqi caught up with Darren Tan, CEO of UNIGRID Battery, at Cambridge EnerTech's International Battery Seminar 2025 in Orlando, to discuss the evolving battery landscape.

As demand continues to grow and supply risks swell, a market for critical material recovery technology that enables recycling from end-of-life products and waste is rapidly emerging.

Wednesday 9 April 2025 - Driving E-Mobility Forward: How EVs Are Shining a Spotlight on Aerogels; An introduction to aerogels; Factors and regulations driving the increased focus on fire safety in EVs; Comparison of aerogel material types as EV fire protection materials and comparison with other fire protection materials; Market status and outlook for future market share of aerogels in EV applications

Sodium-ion batteries share similar electrochemical principles with lithium-ion but differ in cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes, with ongoing development in cost-effective sodium-based alternatives. While sodium-ion technology faces challenges in achieving cost-competitiveness with lithium-ion, advancements in engineering and material innovation could enable it to serve as a complementary solution in specific applications.

Solid-state batteries are emerging as a promising solution for advanced energy storage, offering a unique balance of performance characteristics that make them suitable for a wide range of applications. However, their widespread adoption will depend on overcoming challenges such as scalability, cost reduction, and addressing interfacial issues between the solid electrolyte and electrodes.

Automotive and battery OEMs are responsible for collecting retired batteries, which is where the second-life battery value chain begins. Recycling processes may see critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel reclaimed by OEMs. However, the already somewhat established relationship between recyclers and manufacturers may prove tricky for repurposing companies to interrupt.

The automotive industry is often an early adopter of luxury products, where both the increased performance and convenience are selling points to consumers. Self-healing materials can be used in a range of automotive applications, including tires, paints, and coatings. Use cases even extend to asphalt road surfaces, where damage can lead to issues for vehicles and drivers.

IDTechEx discusses the pros and cons of composite EV battery covers, as well as innovations, current market adoption and an outlook for future adoption.

Lithium metal batteries will form a significant portion of next-generation electric vehicle batteries. However, increasingly, lithium metal battery developers are taking the anode-less approach, constructing cells without lithium metal foils at the anode to reduce costs. Anode-less designs are poised to become a primary focus of commercialization for lithium metal battery developers.

Thursday 3 April 2025 - Understanding the Critical Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries: Trends in Demand, Supply, and Sustainability; An overview of materials in lithium-ion batteries; Critical battery materials demand trends; Trends in battery mineral mining and extraction; Carbon emission profiles of battery raw materials; Global raw materials supply outlooks; The prospects of deep-sea mining

Since 2020, the emergence of aerogels as a fire protection material for electric vehicle (EV) batteries has provided a new and rapidly growing opportunity for the aerogel market. According to the latest IDTechEx market report, "Aerogels 2025-2035: Technology, Market, Forecasts", the adoption in EV thermal barriers has helped drive the aerogels market to exceed US$1 billion in 2025.