Electromobility

Today everyone is talking about electromobility. More and more people are following the exciting questions about the future of batteries and fuel cells. Will cars, planes, trains and ships soon run entirely on electricity?

Batteries for the Electromobility

Batteries shape our everyday life: We all use cell phones, electric toothbrushes and notebooks. Internationally recognized cutting-edge research on batteries and fuel cells has been taking place in Ulm since the 1980s. A total of seven research institutions work together successfully here and contribute different expertise.

Modern battery technology is built into many devices today. But can it also cope with the increasing demands of electromobility? The lithium-ion battery has grown into the leading power storage technology over the past 25 years. The technology is considered to be particularly efficient, low-maintenance and safe.

Nevertheless, battery researchers are always on the lookout for new, alternative materials. Their mission: Scientists want to develop batteries that (1) provide more capacity, that (2) are more powerful and (3) safer, (4) can be produced more sustainably, that are shaped in (5) smaller size and lighter weight and could possibly be (6) more cost-efficient.

Topics of Electromobility: The triumph of the battery

Batteries are one of the key technologies of the next decades. Since their market launch in 1991, lithium-ion batteries have paved the way for the consumer electronics revolution, and not just because of their small size and light weight. They are also in the process of enabling electrically powered mobility and transportation.

Overview on Batteries in E-Vehicles

Presentation: “Batterien in Elektrofahrzeugen”
Scientist: Dr. Dominic Bresser
Date: 09.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpvRxZatgMA

Podcast: “Batterieforschung”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Helmut Ehrenberg
Date: 12.10.2020
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/1-batterieforschung

Presentation: “Batterien für die Elektromobilität”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 05.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLZxILUix1w

Podcast: “Batterien für die Elektromobilität”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 22.10.2020
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/2-elektromobilitaet

Video: “Warum wird an Batterien geforscht?”
Date: 12.08.2020
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYI0doEm9bc

How quickly can E-Vehicles be charged?

External source: “E-Autos in 6 Minuten aufladen? – Der Super-Akku von Varta”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner;
Date: 22.06.2021
Link: https://www.galileo.tv/video/e-autos-in-6-minuten-aufladen-der-super-akku-von-varta/

How large is the range of future E-vehicles?

External source: “E-Mobilität – wie schaffen wir die Verkehrswende?”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner;
Date: 17.09.2021
Link: https://www.swr.de/swr1/bw/programm/e-mobilitaet-wie-schaffen-wir-die-verkehrswende-100.html

Podcast: “1.000 Kilometer Reichweite mit SALD-Batterien?”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner;
Date: 23.12.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/5-sald

Are E-Vehicles really more sustainable than combustion engine vehicles?

Discussion: “E-Autos doch nicht so umweltfreundlich?”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner; Dr. Marcel Weil, Patrick von Rosen
Date: 09.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSPS_pddl4Y

Podcast: “E-Autos doch nicht so umweltfreundlich?”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner; Dr. Marcel Weil, Patrick von Rosen
Date: 09.07.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/13-eautos-doch-nicht-so-umweltfreundlich

How can E-vehicle batteries be recycled environmentally-friendly?

External source: “Aufgeladen! – Was steckt in unseren Akkus?”
Date: 05.07.2020
Link: https://kinder.wdr.de/tv/neuneinhalb/av/video-aufgeladen—was-steckt-in-unseren-akkus-102.html

Video: “Wie werden Lithium-Ionen-Batterien recycelt?”
Date: 12.02.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoEJGTtzalI

How safe are batteries in E-vehicles?

Podcast: “Batteriesicherheit”
Date: 21.09.2020
Scientist: Prof. Hans Jürgen Seifert
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/17-sicherheit

Which innovative, sustainable materials could be used in future batteries?

Presentation: “Sodium Ion Batteries (engl.)”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Stefano Passerini
Date: 11.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FyGhqiAv0

External source: “Leading the Transformation: Electricity in competition with hydrogen and SynFuels”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 07.05.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwikPPB5gc

Presentation: “Nachhaltige Zukunftsbatterien”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Axel Groß
Date: 09.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXq_gV7gdD0

Presentation: “Natrium-Ionen-Batterien”
Scientist: Dr. Bresser
Date: 16.11.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/3-natrium-ionen-batterie

Presentation: “POLYSTORAGE at HIU”
Scientist: Dr. Alessandro Innocenti
Date: 11.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuY8BPj492Q

Video: “Was kommt nach der Lithium-Ionen-Batterie?”
Date: 12.02.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFUznXX56zc

Hydrogen vs. Batteries - Which technology could be more suitable for future traffic?

Presentation: “Herausforderungen bei der Entwicklung nachhaltiger Batteriesysteme”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 17.09.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ursqucYhU

Presentation: “Wasserstoff in der Elektromobilität & Energiewende”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle
Date: 06.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bOeEKvAKQ

Podcast: “Wasserstoff in der Elektromobilität & Energiewende”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle
Date: 10.06.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/12-wasserstoff

External source: “Unter Druck: Wasserstoff in der Mobilität”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 02.09.2021
Link: https://www.3sat.de/wissen/wissenschaftsdoku/020926-sendung-wido-100.html

Future E-Trucks: Operated by Batteries or Hydrogen?

Discussion: “E-Lkws mit Batterien oder Wasserstoff?”
Scientists: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner, Patrick von Rosen, Manfred Kuchlmayr, Stefan Hajek
Date: 28.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AS8hpafThQ

Podcast: “E-Lkws mit Batterien oder Wasserstoff?”
Scientists: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner, Patrick von Rosen, Manfred Kuchlmayr, Stefan Hajek
Date: 28.07.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/15-elektrische-lkw

Fuel Cells in Electromobility

Presentation: “Brennstoffzellen”
Scientist: Dr. Ludwig Jörissen
Date: 03.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od0IS0CESO0

Presentation: “Wasserstoff in der Elektromobilität & Energiewende”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle
Date: 06.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0bOeEKvAKQ

Podcast: “Wasserstoff in der Elektromobilität & Energiewende”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle
Date: 10.06.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/12-wasserstoff

How far is the development of solid-state batteries?

Podcast: “Festkörperbatteriee”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek
Date: 18.08.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/16-festkoerperbatterien

Presentation: “POLYSTORAGE at HIU”
Scientist: Dr. Alessandro Innocenti
Date: 11.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuY8BPj492Q

How does battery production develop in Germany?

Podcast: “Batterieproduktion in Deutschland”
Scientist: Dr. Janna Hofmann
Date: 22.04.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/10-batterieproduktion

Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) in E-vehicle batteries

Podcast: “BYD, CATL, Tesla & die LFP-Zellen”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner
Date: 26.01.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/7-lithiumeisenphosphat

How can a battery be modelled mathematically?

Presentation: “Digitalization in Battery Design and Control”
Scientist: Prof. Dr. Arnulf Latz
Date: 15.06.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBNbHGllohA

Video: “Das Innenleben einer Batterie verstehen”
Date: 12.02.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ohx9xFyd8

Podcast: “Satellitenbatterien”
Scientist: Dr. Linda Bolay
Date: 15.06.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/8-satellitenbatterien

(How) Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) help in finding and developing new battery materials?

Presentation: “KI und Roboter in der Batterieforschung”
Scientist: TT.-Prof. Dr. Helge Stein
Date: 10.07.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dos3kYsfDco

Video: “Kann eine Künstliche Intelligenz Batterien erfinden?”
Scientist: TT.-Prof. Dr. Helge Stein
Date: 12.02.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZxfTQQqgQ8

Presentation: “Künstliche Intelligenz in der Batterieforschung”
Scientist: TT.-Prof. Dr. Helge Stein
Date: 30.09.2021
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNr7NtJd5GQ

Podcast: “Künstliche Intelligenz in der Batterieforschung”
Scientist: TT.-Prof. Dr. Helge Stein
Date: 23.12.2021
Link: https://geladen.podigee.io/6-kuenstlicheintelligenz

From the battery invention to commercialization

Batteries are not developed overnight. The development cycles for innovative batteries and new cell concepts often take several years or even decades. The interdisciplinary interaction between cell chemistry and constructive engineering is crucial. The invention of the lithium-ion battery proves this very impressively.

The invention of the lithium-ion battery

In the 1970s, Stanley Whittingham researched a promising cathode material for lithium batteries. This can absorb lithium ions in its atomic spaces. In the period from 1977 to 1979, small batteries with a lithium alloy were produced for watches.

A research group led by John B. Goodenough at the University of Oxford discovered the electrode material lithium cobalt dioxide in 1980. The Japanese engineer Akira Yoshino built on Goodenough's cathode concept in 1985 and now used petroleum coke, a carbon, for the anode instead of metallic lithium. Its battery was much lighter and more durable.

The first commercially available lithium-ion battery was finally brought onto the market by Sony in 1991 and used in the CCD TR 1 video camera. To date, batteries of this type are sold and used in a wide variety of devices.

The battery scientists are honored with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Whittingham, Goodenough and Yoshino jointly received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for developing the lithium-ion battery. When Whittingham heard of his honor, he was at a battery conference in Ulm. Within a few hours, the international press crowded into the Ulmer Maritim Hotel. Mayor Gunter Czisch spontaneously awarded Whittingham the Einstein Medal of the City of Ulm.

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