Whenever Charged needs to better understand the complexities of the latest and greatest battery tech—or the nuances of the battery materials industry—our first call is to Wildcat Discovery Technologies. This group of energy storage scientists has a unique industry perspective, because they use their proprietary high-throughput research platform to help other companies improve their batteries by rapidly exploring new materials. Wildcat is at the forefront of the race to find better battery materials, and its combinatorial chemistry techniques can build and test prototype batteries up to 10 times faster than a standard lab—a process that’s ideally suited for optimizing materials with seemingly endless formulation possibilities.
The result is that Wildcat not only understands the deep technical details of all the top battery chemistries, but also has a great perspective on the commercialisation timelines for what’s considered next-generation technology.
The state of solid-state
Most batteries used in EVs today have a liquid electrolyte, but researchers are seeking solid alternatives for two reasons. One: the liquid electrolytes are flammable, and replacing them would significantly improve battery safety. Two: solid electrolytes could enable much higher energy density with the use of novel anodes.
Ilika plc (LON:IKA) is a pioneer in materials innovation and has been inventing new materials for energy and electronics applications for over a decade. Global brands such as Rolls Royce and Toyota have long term collaborations with Ilika’s development teams.
