Graphene for Automotive - Page 3

The Graphene Flagship, Europe's $1 billion graphene research initiative, has summed up its progress in advancing graphene-based innovations for automotive in the last ten years. The project examines, among other topics, how graphene can address key challenges in the automotive sector, such as fuel efficiency, recycling, and environmental impact.

Graphene has the potential to drive significant advancements in the automotive industry — from strengthening structural components to improving electrochemical energy storage (i.e., Batteries) efficiency and safety in electric cars as well as enhancing the performance of the self-driving car. The Graphene Flagship has orchestrated a number of projects researching the benefits of graphene in automotive applications and how vehicles can be improved. The Graphene Flagship reports it is now seeing this research and development come to fruition. Listed below are the automotive-related advancements that were achieved.

Haydale has announced that it will be a key contributor to Viritech's development of fuel cell hydrogen electric vehicles (FCHEVs).

Viritech, a developer of high-performance hydrogen powertrain solutions for the automotive industry, has secured a major role in Ford Motor Company's three-year hydrogen fuel cell E-Transit trial and Haydale will lead the development of new functionalized materials and resins for Type V pressure vessels to support Viritech's proprietary integrated mounting system Graph-Pro™.

Stellantis and Lyten have announced that Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of Stellantis, invested in Lyten to accelerate the commercialization of Lyten 3D Graphene™ applications for the mobility industry, including the LytCell™ Lithium-Sulfur EV battery, lightweighting composites, and novel on-board sensing. 

Lyten will aim to leverage the tunability of the material to enable enhanced vehicle performance and customer experience while decarbonizing the transportation sector. Lyten’s tunable materials platform has demonstrated significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and will advance the transition to sustainable mobility.

This is a sponsored post by The Graphene Flagship

Keen to share your research, learn from experts, and collaborate with industry leaders? Join us at Graphene Week 2023 for your chance to help shape the future of graphene and related materials in Europe!

Register for the event, send us your abstracts, and apply for student grants (there are plenty available!). More information is available at Graphene Week 2023 | Graphene Flagship (graphene-flagship.eu).

Graphenest, provider of innovative electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding solutions for the electronics and automotive industries, has announced that it has raised 1.8€ million in funding to scale up its graphene cleantech production and its commercial business development. The funding was led by Ged Ventures and Portugal Ventures.

With this funding, Graphenest plans to expand its production capabilities and accelerate growth toward a circular economy, by expanding its portfolio of products and strategic partnerships with the industry's value chain. It is committed to deliver high-performance shielding products that can enable customers to replace metals that are dense, rigid, and energy & resource-intensive by graphene-based solutions

E2 Holdings, working with 2DM, recently launched an engine oil additive formulated with high purity graphene. The product, called NAMITEC, is said to improve fuel economy, restore power and performance, reduce noise and vibration, extend engine life and more. 

The Company explains that graphene as a lubricating additive can reduce the coefficient of friction due to its capability to produce a nano-bearing protective layer for the moving parts of your engine. SG Graphene NAMITEC engine oil additive is suitable for all gasoline and diesel engines, as well as machinery and tools.

It was recently reported that Skeleton Technologies and the Canadian automotive supplier Martinrea International are cooperating to equip refuse collection vehicles for use in Paris and New York with Skeleton’s ‘SuperBattery’ technology.

Martinrea International develops and produces electric vehicle technologies for heavy-duty commercial vehicles through its subsidiary Effenco. The aim of the agreement with the Estonia-based Skeleton is to electrify fleets of refuse collection vehicles in Europe and North America, starting in New York City and Paris, and later to make the solution developed by both companies available worldwide. In autumn 2022, Shell had already become known as the first major customer for the graphene battery solution. Shell wants to use it to create electrification solutions for mining sites.

Haydale recently announced an extension of its cooperation with Viritech, a developer of high-performance hydrogen powertrain solutions for the automotive industry. The two companies will work together on solutions for hydrogen pressure vessels, initially focusing on commercial vehicles.

In focusing on Type V, linerless pressure vessels, Viritech and Haydale are looking to develop 'the world’s most efficient vehicle storage system for gaseous hydrogen'. This technology could have wide application, including to the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries, with immediate application in the emerging market for fuel cell vans.

German specialty chemicals company, Evonik, has invested (through its venture capital unit, Evonik Venture Capital (EVC)) in Chinese battery specialist SuperC. The Chinese company develops and produces graphene materials that improve the range, robustness, charging speed, and service life of lithium-ion batteries, aiming to solve key limitations of electric vehicles and accelerate the shift to climate-friendly mobility.

"By investing in SuperC, we are supporting a cutting-edge technology with a promising future. High-performance batteries are a crucial factor in accelerating the electrification of road transport and permanently reducing CO₂ emissions," says Bernhard Mohr, head of Evonik's venture capital unit. The investment was made by the Sustainability Tech Fund launched in 2022, which has a total investment volume of €150 million. The Group is thus also strengthening its sustainability goals by investing in an innovative technology and business model. The focus of the fund is on new technologies to reduce emissions as well as innovations that complement Evonik's Next Generation Solutions.

NanoXplore and Martinrea International, a global automotive supplier engaged in the design, development and manufacturing of highly engineered, value-added Lightweight Structures and Propulsion Systems, through its subsidiary, Martinrea Innovation Developments, have announced NanoXplore's purchase of Martinrea Innovation's 50% equity stake in VoltaXplore.

NanoXplore now owns 100% of the equity and intellectual property in VoltaXplore and Martinrea has increased its existing equity position in NanoXplore from 21.1% to 22.7%. VoltaXplore was formed as a joint venture between NanoXplore and Martinrea in 2021 to collaborate on developing graphene-enhanced Li-ion battery cells for electric vehicles and grid storage and to explore the potential to build a battery gigafactory. NanoXplore will seek to finance the battery gigafactory within VoltaXplore.