Electric cars will soon cost the same to own as petrol ones – dearer to buy, cheaper to run. But range will still be a bit less and charging a bit slower. So people go looking for game-changers in those fields.
Solid-state batteries get a lot of airtime. Small wonder. They replace the wet electrolyte in today’s lithium-ion batteries with a solid. Because they’re simpler they could be a lot cheaper, and lighter, and they won’t need liquid cooling. They should also be longer-lasting and fireproof. Possibly much faster-charging too – provided you can find an outlet much more powerful than the 350kW top-end jobs of today.
Ilika plc (LON: IKA) has world class expertise in accelerated materials innovation, including in the automotive, aeronautical and electronic components sectors. Global brands such as Rolls-Royce and Toyota have long-term collaborations with Ilika. High throughput technology enables functional materials to be made, characterised and tested up to 100 times faster than traditional techniques. Robust datasets enhance intellectual property value, optimise product performance and reduce time to market, thereby maximising return on R&D investment.