Formula E, an excellent platform to push the limits of the lithium-ion battery: Umicore

Our front line workers are struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and this has pushed everything else into the background. Motorsport is also one of the hardest hit as the usual racing season has been suspended and races have been canceled or postponed. The 2019/20 Formula E season has also been suspended indefinitely until things stabilize. However, this has given us the opportunity to learn more about what is going on behind closed doors with the development of electric race cars. As the electric vehicle segment expands its horizon as the future of mobility, we are moving closer to Mahindra Racing's partner, Umicore, to better understand the development of racing battery and the long-term durability of batteries electric in the times to come.

Also read: Coronavirus forces suspension of formula E 2019/20

Mahindra Racing and Umicore partnered in 2017 and worked together to develop compact, high-performance batteries for the world's first all-electric single-seat racing series. Umicore is a mobility and recycling materials company that has recently turned its attention to technology-driven precious metal recycling. With Mahindra Racing, the company is working to improve the technology of lithium-ion batteries which helps the company to optimize the production of active materials such as the cathode. With the high octane rating atmosphere that surrounds Formula E cars, the batteries are subject to severe wear and tear and are therefore the perfect test bench for testing materials at Umicore.

Tom Van Bellinghen, vice president of OEM value chain and marketing at Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials, said: "Umicore offers its expertise in battery materials to Mahindra Racing, one of the teams participating in the championship of Formula E, and we shut down the battery running by recycling the cells after using them in racing cars. This "closed loop" approach results in a significantly lower environmental footprint of the resulting battery materials. "

ROAD TO ROAD

Motorsport has always been the real-time research and development center for new automotive technologies. F1 has paved the way for some of the most exciting sports cars, and Formula E is now helping to shape the electric vehicle industry. Not only Mahindra, but Formula E now includes a multitude of global manufacturers from Nissan, Mercedes to Porsche and Audi. The latest VW group companies have also given up participating in endurance racing, focusing their synergies on electric racing and mobility. Battery technology is at the heart of the development of electric racing. There are, of course, traction batteries that power the electric motor, while a smaller 12-volt auxiliary battery powers the other racing car systems. This is where Umicore and Mahindra work together.

The 12V auxiliary battery was used in Gen2 racing cars that hit the tracks in 2018. The battery powers critical electrical systems, including brake lights, radio communication, electronics, and should also be as light as possible to maximize weight savings. The auxiliary battery operates independently of the traction battery and must weigh a minimum to control the total weight savings. This lithium-ion battery with auxiliary input helps Umicore to understand the use of active materials inside. Key materials can be better packaged, which helps make batteries more durable for cars on the road. It also allows the manufacture of compact batteries with reduced cathode production from the gram scale to the hundreds of mT / m scale.

ETHICAL SOURCE OF RAW MATERIALS

With electric mobility gaining ground, it has always been a question of whether raw materials were of ethical origin to meet the sudden surge in demand. The Belgian company claims to have a system of social and environmental practices in the supply chain. With regard to ethical sourcing of cobalt, Umicore says that the company has a “ sustainable sourcing framework '' & # 39; which requires suppliers to meet specific standards of environmental stewardship, work practices, human rights, business integrity and supply chain management. .

The supply of cobalt also stems from geographic risks which make the supply of active ingredients an ethical task. It is even more important to promote the recycling and reuse of active ingredients from today's batteries.

Also read: Pascal Wehrlein of Mahindra Racing wins the third round of the Race to Home challenge

REUSE AND RECYCLING

Umicore's recycling capabilities and practices allow the company to reuse active materials from existing batteries. However, given the current adoption of electric vehicles, it will take some time before this generation of lithium-ion batteries reaches its lifespan and is recycled into key materials.

Tom explains: "In our current recycling process, sustainability comes first, the battery energy and the organic part of the battery materials are used in the casting process as an energy carrier which reduces primary energy consumption. "

With Formula E, Umicore and sports organizers have teamed up to recycle the lithium-ion battery unit and cells that have been used in the first two seasons of the series. These batteries are broken in order to recover lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper. The casting technology developed by Umicore makes it possible to recycle materials in their purest form and to convert them into active cathode materials for the production of rechargeable batteries. The cells are reused and not shredded, which would expose operators to dangerous compounds.

Batteries are the fuel of electric vehicles and it is this development cycle that will find its place in the cars and two-wheelers of the future. Formula E has shaped electric vehicle technology and the following components around cars. The technology is limited to making more compact and complex batteries, but it will also help develop shorter charge times, longer periods of use and increased performance. There is also heat management that will need to be packaged more efficiently as performance and range increase in the future.

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