New brochure on the fire safety of electric cars: Current research and knowledge
How safe are battery-electric vehicles in the event of a fire? The electric mobility team at NOW GmbH has evaluated recent studies. The brochure ‘Fire safety of battery-electric cars’ (‘Bandsicherheit batterieelektrischer Pkw’) provides answers to the most important questions regarding the fire behaviour, fire protection, extinguishing and parking of electric cars. Illustrations vividly explain what happens during a thermal runaway, how a battery pack is constructed and the operational tactics of fire brigades when dealing with electric vehicle fires.
Strategic raw materials for powertrain batteries in electric cars: Sufficient deposits, but extraction needs to be expanded
Graphite, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and nickel are essential for the production of powertrain batteries for electric cars. Global deposits of these raw materials significantly exceed projected demand. However, Europe has only limited resources of its own. Our new factsheet provides information on reserves, production volumes, demand and dependencies of producing and refining countries.
Recycling of traction batteries for e-vehicles: key points at a glance
With the number of electric vehicles increasing, so too is the demand for raw materials for battery manufacture. Raw materials like lithium, nickel and cobalt are a rarity in Europe or have to be imported. Recycling is an important route to becoming less dependent on imports. It conserves natural resources and reduces the CO2 footprint compared to primary mining. And proper disposal decreases environmental pollution.
Researchers at Kassel University develop new transmission for electric commercial vehicles
Whereas electric drives for cars have considerable market share by now and in the truck sector, technical advances have also been made, the commercial vehicle sector between 3.5 and 7 tonnes has been overlooked. Now a research group from Kassel University has made significant progress working together with the Mercedes Benz plant in Kassel, a Daimler Truck AG site. The researchers developed a system by which proven electrical components from the passenger car area can be transferred to commercial vehicles. The research team has now presented its development.
STILL launches first production line for fuel cell systems at Hamburg plant
Starting today, the first fuel cell systems to be produced in Hamburg are coming fresh from the production line. At an opening event, intralogistics specialist STILL launched Hamburg’s first production line for 24-volt fuel cell systems. That makes STILL the first original equipment manufacturer in Europe to offer its own fuel cell system –an advance for the intralogistics sector as well as for Hamburg as an innovation hub.
Two projects for efficient large-scale production of fuel cells
As part of the ‘TiKaBe’project network, Fraunhofer ISE is developing innovative catalyst inks that can be used for various industrial coating processes. Shortening and simplifying the so-called ‘break-in’, or the initial conditioning of fuel cells, is the focus of the research project: ‘BI-FIT’.
EXI project HyTrA – First demonstrator goes into operation in South Africa
The objective of the HyTrA project (Hydrogen Tryout Areal) is to establish the use of hydrogen technology for decentralized electricity supply in South Africa. Decentralised stand-alone networks are to form the basis for advancing a reliable, environmentally-friendly and CO2-neutral electricity supply. On 13 July 2023, the first demonstrator of the project was launched in Cape Town, South Africa, and was attended by project leader ZUG gGmbH as well as NOW GmbH.
