24M shares test data of new Impervio separator that helps reduce EV battery fires
Volkswagen-backed battery developer 24M Technologies has shared test data showcasing its Impervio separator technology, which helps reduce the risk of EV battery fires. The video footage below shows a side-by-side comparison of conventional EV cells overcharged with and without an Impervio separator in real-time, demonstrating the technology’s potential in the future.
24M Technologies is a US-based battery startup spun out of MIT that has redesigned the traditional battery cell using “SemiSolid” lithium-ion technology. Prospective benefits of these unique cells include 40% less production area, more efficient product recycling, and less CO2 during battery production.
In December 2021, we shared the news that Volkswagen Group had invested in the battery specialist as part of three separate partnerships to advance EV battery cell development and adjacent technologies.
With VW’s financial support, 24M announced a novel approach to EV battery recycling called “Liforever” this past March. This approach is implemented directly into the battery manufacturing process as a method to recycle all active battery materials like lithium iron phosphate (LFP) more efficiently and cost-effectively while bypassing the creation of black mass entirely.
In January 2024, 24M introduced a new approach to battery separators called “Impervio,” which addresses the growing concern of fire across EV battery cells, energy storage systems (ESS), and consumer applications when they are overcharged. You can learn more about how 24M’s Impervio separator helps reduce the risk of EV battery fires in the company’s explainer video here.
Most recently, 24M shared test data that visually demonstrates the potential of its Impervio separator, overcharging EV battery cells with and without the technology in real time. The results are encouraging.
24M data that shows its separator reduces EV battery fires
As a follow up to its initial announcement earlier this year, 24M Technologies has shared actual test data that exhibits how effective its Impervio technology can be at preventing EV battery fires.
24M explained that overcharging a battery cell, like those utilized in EVs, can lead to dendrite formation and an internal short, which can result in a fire or, even worse, an explosion. The Impervio separator obstructs dendrite propagation by controlling the cell at the individual electrode level, thus preventing dendrites from propagating and faulting. 24M also shared that its technology can prevent thermal runaway by monitoring a cell’s electrochemistry and implementing a failsafe in the event of a shorting out.
The company shared the following video of a side-by-side performance test of two separate 10 Ah NMC/graphite cells, one with an Impervio separator and one with a conventional separator, charged to 100%, then overcharged to 100% overcapacity or twice the specified maximum voltage.
As you can see in the video, the non-Impervio, off-the-shelf cells overheated via dendrite-caused micro shorts after 15 minutes, causing the battery to inevitably explode and catch fire after 38 minutes. The NMC cell with 24M’s Impervio technology, however, did not overheat or catch fire after an entire hour of overcharging. 24M Technologies president and CEO elaborated on the potential of the company’s Impervio separators:
Battery safety is a major roadblock to the widespread adoption of EVs. Recent EV fires around the globe have highlighted why new battery safety innovations are required. A sustainable energy future is only possible with innovations like Impervio, which can help prevent battery fires and create new opportunities for battery innovation
It will be interesting and exciting to see 24M’s Impervio technology implemented at a mass scale, as EV battery fires, although rare, are still a major concern for OEMs and consumers alike. It would also be nice to remove the talking point about EV fire risk from the conversation from naysayers and political pundits as an argument against EV adoption.
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Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.
He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.
When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.
EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.
The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.
He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.
The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.
A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.
Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build
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Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.
The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.
Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.
For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.
Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:
Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.
The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.
We recently reported that an early Tesla Semi customer, Ryder, stated that the electric truck program is experiencing more delays and a price increase described as “dramatic.”
They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.
When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.
However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.
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Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.
The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.
The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.
Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.
The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.
“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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