If you have ever climbed a mountain you will know that progress gets harder and slower the closer you get to the top – and in terms of battery progress, we have done all the base camps – and we are now closing in on the summit! That’s why I’ve embarked on a battery series here on LinkedIn – to discover who the electron mountaineers are, what they are doing, and when they might plant a flag at the summit!
And so to Southampton!
Team Ilika – they are all super busy on the solid state battery quest – wowzers!
In other words, they are progressing batteries that don’t have a liquid state – a liquid electrolyte. They are making batteries that have a solid state – a solid electrolyte. Progressing to solid state will deliver greater energy density, enhanced safety, low leakage current, long life, and overall greater operating efficiency. That operating efficiency is particularly critical in terms of ambient temperature of course, as currently EV batteries have a tendency to deliver a ‘dual range’…one in Summer & one in Winter. It’s an issue.
I say progressing…they already have product in market as they’ve now deployed miniature solid state batteries into industrial IOT settings.
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.
