Photo: Electrive

Batteries are, of course, a critically important part of the production of electric vehicles, so research and development in this area are very valuable. Tesla is one of the leaders in this, trying to keep the cost of battery cells as low as possible while improving their performance. The company's battery factory in Germany and the research to be carried out in Europe should make a significant contribution. Recently it became known that Tesla, together with the Bayreuth University, is conducting research on batteries in Germany.

A battery collaboration with a German university is expected to begin in March. On February 25, the Bayreuth University presented the project "Glass separators for lithium-ion batteries (GlasSeLIB)." It will be funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation for over 375,000 euros over the next three years.

The coordinator of the joint project is KeyLab Glass Technology of the Bayreuth University, which is located in the Department of Ceramic Materials. Research partners are the Department of Materials Technology at the Bayreuth University and four companies: Füller Glastechnologie GmbH, Vitrulan Glass Textile GmbH, Varta Microbattery GmbH and, most interestingly, Tesla Germany GmbH in Munich. The research is carried out in close collaboration with the Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt), the central scientific institution of the Bayreuth University.

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most important in energy storage. Their operational safety is critically dependent on separators. Therefore, the Bayreuth University is researching new types of glass separators to improve the safety of high-tech batteries, all the while increasing service life.

A separator is a permeable membrane placed between a battery's anode and cathode. The main function of a separator is to keep the two electrodes apart to prevent electrical short circuits while also allowing for the transport of ionic charge carriers that are needed to close the circuit during the passage of current in an electrochemical cell.

Glass separator for lithium-ion batteries developed at the Bayreuth University.
Photo: UBT / Uli Schadeck

A press release from the Bayreuth University states that Tesla and Varta will act as partners who will test the developed separators in their laboratories. It seems that Tesla is already playing an important role in battery research and development in Germany and Europe.

Source: Teslamag

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