FLEXIBLE CIRCUITRY THAT’S MILES AHEAD

Our flexible printed circuits do more than link battery cells to EV electronics. They flex during charging cycles, creating a sleeker, lighter solution that boosts miles per charge.

Put our long history of technical knowledge and consultation to work for you. From engineered materials to innovative circuitry, our vertically integrated solutions are uniquely created to help your concepts take shape.

sheldahl.com

Publisher

Christian Ruoff

Contributing Writers

Jeffrey Jenkins

Charles Morris

For Letters to the Editor, Article Submissions, & Advertising Inquiries Contact: Info@ChargedEVs.com

Associate Publisher

Laurel Zimmer

Christian Ruoff

John Voelcker

Senior Editor

Charles Morris

Cover Image Courtesy of

Hyundai Motor America

Account Executives

Jeremy Ewald

Special Thanks to

Kelly Ruoff

Technology Editor

Graphic Designers

Jeffrey Jenkins

Tomislav Vrdoljak

Sebastien Bourgeois e legacy automakers are spinning this as good news for them, but we’re not so sure. e move to Telsa’s NACS is an admission of defeat—the upstart has beaten the Old Guard (who had 11 years to raise their game), and everyone knows it. at’s not a great look. On the other hand, if more access to charging helps sell more EVs in general, then let the rising tide li all cars. e Tesla takeover is far from the only news shaking up the EV world this year. President Biden’s IRA and BIL are (so far) succeeding beyond the most optimistic predictions. Companies are investing billions to bring supply chains to the US, creating lots of good jobs and building political support in the process. See this issue’s feature article on Westwater Resources, page 34, which is building a huge graphite processing facility in Alabama. e incentives included in the IRA and the promise of V2X are both drivers of another important trend: the long-awaited rise of electric trucking. Few know more about this red-hot eld than Rustam Kocher, who gives us an indepth look at the current state of the commercial EV scene, page 64.

ETHICS STATEMENT AND COVERAGE POLICY AS THE LEADING EV INDUSTRY PUBLICATION, CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE OFTEN COVERS, AND ACCEPTS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM, COMPANIES THAT ADVERTISE IN OUR MEDIA PORTFOLIO. HOWEVER, THE CONTENT WE CHOOSE TO PUBLISH PASSES ONLY TWO TESTS: (1) TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE, AND (2) IT MEETS THE INTERESTS OF OUR READERSHIP. WE DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR EDITORIAL CONTENT, AND THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY OUR EDITORS AND WRITERS ARE IN NO WAY AFFECTED BY A COMPANY’S PAST, CURRENT, OR POTENTIAL ADVERTISEMENTS. FURTHERMORE, WE OFTEN ACCEPT ARTICLES AUTHORED BY “INDUSTRY INSIDERS,” IN WHICH CASE THE AUTHOR’S CURRENT EMPLOYMENT, OR RELATIONSHIP TO THE EV INDUSTRY, IS CLEARLY CITED. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANY OPINION EXPRESSED IN THE CHARGED MEDIA PORTFOLIO AND/OR WISH TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR PARTICULAR VIEW OF THE INDUSTRY, PLEASE CONTACT US AT CONTENT@CHARGEDEVS.COM. REPRINTING IN WHOLE OR PART IS FORBIDDEN EXPECT BY PERMISSION OF CHARGED ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAGAZINE.

Choosing a topic for the Publisher’s Note is not always easy, but this time around it was a slam-dunk. e surprising news that Ford would hitch its wagon to Tesla’s charging plug set o an avalanche—at this writing GM, Rivian and Volvo have joined the party, along with a plethora of EVSE makers and charging network operators.

Yes, it’s a very big deal in the EV industry, and on the whole it seems like good news. It’s spectacularly good news for Tesla, which has scored a massive publicity coup and opened up potentially large new revenue streams in the future (reselling electrons will probably never be a great business, but there are other opportunities if you get creative). It’s great news for drivers, who will have more—and hopefully better—places to charge.

Techies can debate the relative merits of CCS vs NACS, but all that is beside the point. e other automakers made this move for the sole reason of being able to promise a better customer experience. For potential EV drivers, charging is the #1 concern (for actual EV owners, it’s a minor issue at most), and while public charging in general su ers from unnecessary complexity and abysmal reliability, Supercharger users report an easy-to-use, dependable charging experience.

Reaction to the news has been almost universally positive—even usually Tesla-skeptical pundits are hailing the convergence single plug standard, and predicting a good riddance to CSS. Standards body CharIN was one of the few dissenting voices, but along with fellow standards body SAE, it has announced that it will cooperate with the new overlords.

We hope things work out the way everyone thinks they will. More and better charging—what’s not to like? However, all of North America’s public chargers aren’t going to become Superchargers overnight. We strongly suspect that the main reason Superchargers work much better is that they’re designed and operated by one company for one small set of vehicles, and that’s going to change. Every new vehicle, adapter and charge point operator that signs on will compound interoperability issues, and it’s going to be up to Tesla—a company with a less-than-perfect record of keeping its promises—to straighten it all out.

California is poised to start requiring new EVs to support bidirectional charging—a technology that promises to revolutionize both the transport and utility industries. Read our interview with the CEO of Nuvve, page 72.

Eaton continues e-mobility expansion in Europe

Power management company Eaton is continuing to expand its European e-mobility business operations, adding new production, o ce and research facilities at several sites.

Eaton has invested in a new production facility for power electronics components in Montrottier, France.

e new plant will produce high-voltage power components including traction inverters and DC-DC converters. High-volume production is scheduled to begin in mid-2023.

Eaton has also expanded a current site in Tczew, Poland, to include electri ed vehicle capabilities.

Eaton’s electrical engineering design and testing facility in Bonn, Germany will increase its focus on EV systems, including the company’s Breaktor circuit protection technology.

Last year, Eaton established a new o ce and laboratory facility in Karlsruhe, Germany, near major manufacturers and suppliers. Here the company will add a lab for the testing of power electronics and power distribution products.

Eaton is also expanding e-mobility production in Gummersbach, Germany and Györ, Hungary.

“ e electri cation of automotive and commercial vehicle markets requires new capabilities to meet the changing industry,” said Mark Schneider, President, E-mobility, Eaton. “We are seeing increasing global demand for electri ed vehicle solutions that are designed and produced in our European locations.”

Metis Engineering releases Cell Guard for battery health monitoring in EVs

UK-based Metis Engineering has launched Cell Guard, a battery safety sensor, to detect lithium-ion battery cell venting and monitor battery health in EVs and energy storage systems.

Cell Guard monitors volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pressure change, humidity, dew point, shock duration and shock loads (up to 24 G), unlike other battery cell monitoring systems (BMS) that only monitor temperature and voltage. is data can be compared to cell temperatures and pressure spikes to detect cell venting and alert the driver within minutes.

e sensor sends data to a control unit like the vehicle’s ECU through a customizable CAN interface, which can also interrupt the battery pack’s circuit to prevent thermal runaway. Cell Guard monitors the battery pack dew point and provides an alert before condensation falls on the battery contacts, which can cause shorting and thermal events. ere is also a threshold-triggered programmable pin to control relays. If a threshold is achieved, the sensor transmits warnings via CAN and wakes the vehicle if a problem is identi ed.

“As cells age, the chance of one in a pack of hundreds or thousands having a fault increases signi cantly. e early detection of cell venting is vital to the safety of the vehicle’s passengers and everything in proximity,” said Metis Engineering’s MD Joe Holdsworth. “Cell Guard provides consumers with valuable and detailed information on used EV battery condition.”

Bitrode launches new generation of battery cyclers

As companies develop new battery chemistries and new hardware and so ware algorithms to improve the utilization and safety of batteries, advanced battery testing equipment is gaining importance.

Bitrode has more than 65 years of experience in the design and development of battery cyclers and battery testing equipment. e Bitrode line of products includes cell, module and pack testers along with battery formation equipment. In recent years, Bitrode Corporation has been investing heavily in a new product development team, and the team’s activities have been ampli ed since September 2022 when Bitrode was acquired by the Schuler Group.

e Bitrode Digital Cycler, which was launched at the recent Battery Show Europe, is designed to meet the current and future demands of the battery industry for testing high-capacity battery cells.

Battery cyclers enable characterization and modeling of batteries in di erent stages of battery design and development, such as inspection, validation, end-of-line testing, pack assembly and battery management system design.

Rincon Power’s new RXC15 contactor offers 250 amps continuous up to 1,000 VDC

Electronic parts manufacturer Rincon Power is expanding its chassis-mount series of contactors by introducing the new ceramically-sealed RXC15 unit, which is capable of isolating high-voltage systems in a compact and robust package, according to the company.

e RXC15 o ers 250 amps of continuous duty for applications up to 1,000 VDC. e single-pole, single-throw (SPST) relay features optional auxiliary contacts that can be used as part of a high-voltage safety circuit, for status feedback or weld detection. e hermetic seal allows the unit to be operated in virtually any environment and minimizes contact oxidation over the life of the switch, the company said. e contactor can be installed in any orientation, even upside-down, providing needed installation exibility.

“ e RXC15 is ideal for those seeking high performance in a small package,” said Brian Munari, Business Development Manager at Rincon Power. “ e chassis-mount terminals make it easy for busbar connections or for routing large-diameter cables. ere’s also a PCB version available for those seeking an even more compact solution. e generous over-current capability makes this a ne choice for medium-duty loads with high inrush without oversizing the contactor.”

Delta-Q Technologies begins mass production of its 3.3 kW EV battery charger

Canadian EV charger producer Delta-Q Technologies has begun mass production of its mid-power battery charger, the XV3300, for o -road mobile machinery.

e charging system’s 3-in-1 IP67-rated design includes a 3.3 kW battery charger, a 500 W DC-DC converter for auxiliary loads such as AC, lights and navigation, and an EV charging station interface. e XV3300 charges at nominal voltages from 48 V to 120 V. OEMs can stack up to three 3.3 kW chargers for power levels up to 10 kW with the 58.8, 65 and 120 V DC versions.

e XV3300 can charge at typical AC charging stations in North America and Europe using SAE J1772 (Levels 1 and 2) and IEC 61851 (Modes 2 and 3) connectors.

“No other 3.3 kW charger on the market also includes a DC-DC converter for auxiliary DC loads and an EVSE charging interface in such a compact size,” said Mourad Chergui, Senior Product Manager at Delta-Q. “As we start full-scale production, we can begin to ful ll the substantial demand we received since we rst announced the initial development.”

INFICON releases ELT3000

PLUS electrolyte leak detector for Li-ion and sodium-ion batteries

INFICON, a leak-testing device and instrument manufacturer, has released an upgraded electrolyte leak detector for in-line leak testing of batteries.

e ELT3000 PLUS directly detects electrolyte solvent leakage into a vacuum chamber to test ready- lled lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries in all cell formats. It has manual and automatic in-line leak detection modes for fast cycle times and high throughput in series manufacturing, and can simultaneously test multiple cells. INFICON says its method identi es leaks with all cell formats, including prismatic, round or button cells and so pouch cells.

With its automated calibration capability, the ELT3000 PLUS can monitor di erent electrolyte leakages in 30 seconds and transfer all test results to each plant’s quality system in real time. e ELT3000 PLUS can evaluate leaks a few micrometers in diameter at 5.10-7 mbar.I/s (helium equivalent leak rate), reducing the risk of battery failure from water or humidity. e smallest detectable leak rate of its predecessor, the ELT3000, was 1.10-6 mbar.l/s.

“With its high throughput and accuracy, integrating the ELT3000 PLUS into the production line will add only seconds to cell production, and it can save millions in costly recalls from malfunctioning lithium-ion battery cells,” said omas Parker, an INFICON Sales Manager. “ e ELT3000 PLUS operates to ISO standards and can easily integrate into a battery cell production line.”

Aspen Aerogels opens Advanced Thermal Barrier Center in US to optimize cellto-cell barriers

Aspen Aerogels, an aerogel-based electri cation company, has opened new engineering and rapid prototyping facilities in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Aspen’s 59,000-square-foot Advanced ermal Barrier Center (ATBC) will create Pyro in cell-to-cell barriers to optimize battery pack safety and performance for the e-mobility and energy storage system sectors. e Pyro in barriers prevent thermal runaway propagation and are optimized based on the manufacturer’s performance and critical safety requirements. Global manufacturers can use ATBC’s quick prototyping and real-time engineering collaboration to develop thermal mechanical barrier technologies. is center aims to commercialize next-generation thermal runaway technologies for EVs while also providing customer-facing technical services.

“Our strategy is to leverage our Aerogel Technology Platform into large important markets, especially those with sustainability and electri cation themes,” said Don Young, President and CEO. “ e ATBC is designed to be the center of our customer-facing work.”