Institution news
Laura discusses her role and involvement with regards to EV batteries, industry challenges and why it is important for engineers to attend.
Q: Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to EV batteries?
Laura Lander (LL): I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Electrochemical Science and Engineering Group at Imperial College London. My research interest lies in the development of battery sustainability and techno-economic models from a whole-system perspective considering the entire battery value chain.
Previously, I was involved in the development of novel cathode materials for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries and explored their fundamental working mechanisms.
Q: Many OEMs are pledging to be fully electric by 2030/2035, in light of this what would you say we need next to ensure a mainly electric vehicle presence in the market in the UK?
LL: To ensure that we have the amount of batteries available to support the electrification of the UK transport sector, it is essential to secure the battery supply chain and to achieve independence from the current major battery producing countries. Here, two strategies should be pursued: Firstly, the establishment of UK-based gigafactories, which is currently done. And secondly, an efficient closed-loop UK battery recycling industry.
In addition, especially at this current stage of the transition, I think a well-established charging infrastructure is important as this is something, which makes potential EV costumers still hesitate to switch.
Q: When it comes to the part of the battery life cycle you are involved in, what considerations need to be taken when it comes to the sustainability side?
LL: I have lately focused mostly on the end-of-life treatment namely on battery recycling and its economic aspects. It is important to understand that recycling a battery is not necessarily a guarantee to improve the overall battery life cycle sustainability. The environmental impact of the recycling process needs to be weighed against the impact of mining. Furthermore, more eco-friendly and efficient recycling processes need to be developed such as direct recycling – something research groups are currently intensively working on.
Q: What do you think is the main area in the battery life cycle that needs development to ensure a net-zero carbon lifecycle to match the 2050 target?
LL: Current environmental hotspots in the lithium-ion battery life cycle are certainly raw materials extraction, materials processing and recycling and those steps need to be improved to lower the battery carbon footprint. However, the overall life cycle environmental impact of a battery consists of a complex interplay and interdependencies of all the steps within the value chain including the battery use phase. For example, a battery chemistry that has maybe a lower carbon footprint on mining and processing might have a lower lifetime or is difficult to recycle, which in turn might increase the overall life cycle footprint again. To establish a net-zero carbon life cycle, the entire value chain needs to be assessed in depth and the trade-offs need to be carefully balanced against each other. Only this way we can identify the most sustainable battery solution for a specific application.
Q: Regarding new technologies for battery use and operation, what would you say are the ones to watch for the future?
LL: I would say sodium-ion batteries are currently reaching a critical turning point with CATL announcing their large-scale production and commercialisation. They might not be able to replace lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, but certainly might find application in niche transportation applications and large-scale grid storage. This will reduce the pressure on critical raw materials such as lithium, graphite and cobalt. To see that there has been some major advances in the sodium-ion battery technology is highly encouraging to continue current research efforts to further improve its performance.
Q: Why is it important for engineers to join the International EV Batteries 2021 conference?
LL: The battery field is moving rapidly and to keep abreast of the latest developments and to obtain new inspirations, coming together to share information and to exchange knowledge is crucial. Especially a face-to-face meeting can intensify the exchange and lead to fruitful discussions – something that is more difficult to achieve during virtual meetings.
This year’s International EV Batteries conference will be taking place on 9-10 November 2021 at Kia Oval, London.
Join this conference to:
- Network with battery experts from vehicle OEMs, battery manufacturers, battery management systems providers and academic institutions
- Find out how specific challenges of integrating EV technology into bus, aerospace and hypercar applications are being managed by leaders in the field
- Plan for a more cost-effective, stable and energy-dense battery by hearing about state of the art battery cell chemistries and design, including developments with solid-state batteries
- Gain insight into the latest battery testing techniques and technologies to ensure an efficient and safe battery
- Learn best practice for thermal management of batteries to ensure optimal temperatures for safe and efficient operation
- Join the discussion through our in-person expert-led roundtables and our question and answer sessions with the speakers
To book your place, please visit www.imeche.org/evbatteries.