Energy Storage

There has been a slowdown in the growth of EV sales in Europe and North America. There are numerous reasons for this, including a lack of models and a difficult economic environment, but better and cheaper batteries and higher-performing EVs remain critical to convincing consumers to purchase them. Longer ranges, faster charging times and stable performance in colder weather could be important to accelerating the outlook for BEVs, and Li-ion batteries using silicon-based anodes offer one route to achieving this.

Wednesday 22 January 2025 - An overview of materials used in battery cells and battery packs; Trends in cathode chemistry and anode materials; Battery pack designs: cell-to-pack and cell-to-body; The impact on pack materials including thermal management, composite/polymer enclosures, interconnects and insulation

Second-life battery storage technologies are struggling to be a cost-competitive technology against first-life Li-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS). In their report on the topic, "Second-life Electric Vehicle Batteries 2025-2035: Markets, Forecasts, Players, and Technologies", IDTechEx explores various means for repurposers to generate revenue within the sector including renting systems and incentivizing automotive OEMs to share revenues.

IDTechEx reports positive growth of Li-ion batteries to be expected over the coming years, largely due to policy, technological improvements, and demand in major sectors such as the EV market and stationary energy storage.

Copper has been used in cars for as long as vehicles have had electrically powered features. Its main use today is as the vehicle's central nervous system, connecting a network of sensors, actuators, displays, and more to the vehicle's ECU brains. As cars evolve and utilize more electronic components, the demand for wiring will inevitably increase.

A power module in DC fast chargers is a critical component that converts AC grid power into high-voltage DC power to charge EV batteries efficiently. It integrates rectifiers, inverters, and control systems to ensure precise power delivery while optimizing energy efficiency and minimizing heat loss. Power modules are essential for achieving rapid charging speeds and supporting high-power applications, meeting the demands of growing EV adoption.

Thursday 9 January 2025 - Navigating Emerging Trends for the Economic Development of Second-Life EV Batteries; Applications of second-life electric vehicle batteries; Overview of the global second-life electric vehicle battery market, including commentary on key players, regional activity, and an introduction to policies; Discussion on cost bottlenecks identified by IDTechEx in the second-life battery repurposing process, informed by primary interviews with key repurposers; Emerging trends to impact repurposing costs and economic development of second-life EV batteries. This includes business-to-business (B2B) battery marketplaces, advanced battery testing / grading / diagnostics technologies, semi-automated EV battery disassembly technologies, EV battery trends, and revenue sharing business models; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions on the global second-life EV battery market

IDTechEx forecasts the second-life EV battery market to grow to US$4.2B in value by 2035, given the increasing availability of retired EV batteries over the coming decade. Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles may be used for 6-15 years, depending on the application and their degradation over time. Once these batteries reach a capacity, or State-of-Health (SOH), that is too low to facilitate the driving range requirements of the EV, these are retired. These batteries could be recycled to reclaim critical and valuable raw materials, which could be reintroduced into new EV battery manufacturing.

Ensuring that a suitable diagnostic service is provided for insured battery deployments can be advantageous. Already, the market has seen arrangements whereby an insurer will offer better premiums for fleet and BESS owners should they use machine-learning-assisted diagnostics services.

Due to the need for higher energy density and faster charging battery technologies, the battery electric car market will be the primary driver behind silicon anode material adoption. Numerous companies, from start-ups to established materials companies and industrials are expanding their capabilities to meet the growing demand for silicon anode material. IDTechEx estimates that silicon anode material production capacity is due to expand 6.5x from 2024 to 2030.