EV battery-materials testing GETS PHYSICAL

Reliable materials-testing methodologies are vital for progress in electric-vehicle battery development. A leader in the field explains.

A lightweight, higher-capacity lithium-ion or Li-blended battery could speed demand for electric vehicles (EVs) by increasing the driving range, but progress could be easily sidetracked without reliable, repeatable testing methods. “In order to improve the technical capabilities of batteries, mechanical testing must be an integral part of the development process,” said Aleksander Koprivc, automotive industry manager for materials test equipment supplier ZwickRoell.

Amid a backdrop of dynamic and static materials testing equipment on display at ZwickRoell's campus in Ulm, Germany, Koprivc and others spoke with Automotive Engineering during the firm's recent 28th International Forum for Materials Testing. The company's customers include 80% of the world's top automotive suppliers, all major global automakers as well as several start-up companies. For those companies involved with eMobility, the quest for better-performing batteries reigns paramount.