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Cutting-edge tech captures pollution from vehicle brakes
CategoriesSustainable News

Cutting-edge tech captures pollution from vehicle brakes

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: When vehicles slow down, brake pads press against the brake discs, emitting a fine dust of particulate matter. The dust is a major source of air pollution and is highly damaging to lung tissue. Ironically, because electric vehicles are heavier – and so take more braking force to stop – they actually contribute greater amounts of this toxic, braking-related particulate matter than fossil fuel equivalents.

Tallano Technologies is one company working to tackle this problem. Its TAMIC system can capture fine particulates emitted by braking systems, including the brakes of cars, heavy goods vehicles, and trains. The technology consists of a suction and filtration system that prevents fine particles from being dispersed into the air by retaining them at source.

The system is activated using an onboard electronic control and requires very little maintenance – changing of the filter every two years or 30,000 kilometres is all that’s required. The startup claims that its TAMIC system can reduce fine particle emissions from brake abrasion by up to 85 per cent.

From 2025, emissions standards (Euro 7) will come into effect on new vehicles sold in Europe, requiring a 27 per cent reduction in particulate emissions until 2035 and further reductions after that. It is therefore no surprise that Tallano won the Grand Prix Impact award for mobility and transport at the end of last year, and has already partnered with companies like Audi.

Reducing air pollution is the subject of several recent innovations spotted by Springwise, including a concrete that cleans the air in road tunnels and tyres that reduce pollution.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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Boosting electric vehicle batteries with seaweed
CategoriesSustainable News

Boosting electric vehicle batteries with seaweed

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The more we improve fossil-fuel-free vehicles, the greener the transportation sector will become. And, according to The University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry, Scottish-grown seaweed may be the unlikely key holder to making electric vehicles (EVs) more enticing for buyers. More specifically, the team is currently testing whether it will help improve the life span and charge time of lithium-ion batteries, used to power EVs. 

A material found in brown seaweed might help develop batteries using silicon instead of graphite. Although graphite is a central component of a lithium-ion battery, it can only store a limited amount of charge and has a restricted lifespan. Replacing it, then, is vital to improving the charging capacity, with silicone being suggested as a viable alternative. The only issue is that when silicon is used on its own, it damages the battery quickly. So, to couple an increased need to store energy with an increased battery lifespan, the team have created a prototype that combines silicone with a material in seaweed. 

“Battery technology is going to play a hugely important role in our transition away from fossil fuels. Electric vehicles, renewable energy production, national grids and other critical elements of a net zero future will depend on having batteries that can store large amounts of energy in the smallest volumes possible and with extended lifetimes,” said Professor Duncan Gregory, chair in Inorganic Materials at the University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry. 

Using funding from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), the team has so far produced a prototype the size of a watch battery, with tests showing promising results. To prove that seaweed can boost charging capacity, the researchers are now looking towards making a larger battery to test the technology at scale. 

Springwise has previously spotted other innovations that aim to improve electric vehicles (EVS), including a 3D-printed prototype that could improve EV engine efficiency and a battery manufacturer that makes EVs less likely to catch on fire.

Written By: Georgia King

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High-voltage electric vehicle batteries for increased range and performance
CategoriesSustainable News

High-voltage electric vehicle batteries for increased range and performance

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Chinese startup Chilye, a developer of high-voltage battery systems for electric vehicles (EVs), has raised RMB 100 million (around €14.8 million) from a group of investors led by Xiaomi, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers.

Most EVs operate at 400 volts, but there is increasing interest in 800-volt systems. For example, in 2020, Porsche released its luxury “Taycan” model — the first EV from a major automaker to use an 800-volt battery.  

There are several potential benefits to higher voltage systems. They offer more range, lighter car weight, and better energy efficiency, and can also be charged more quickly using fast chargers. These potential advantages are persuading leading automakers to explore the technology, and Chilye claims to have secured clients that include ‘multiple mainstream automakers’.

Chilye’s new funding will be used to ramp-up commercial production of its high-voltage battery system. According to Technode, the company claimed earlier this year that it will have the annual production capacity to equip 3 million EVs with its products by mid-2022. 

Xiaomi’s investment in Chilye is part of a broader push by the consumer electronics giant to become a key player in the EV market. The company intends to invest further in domestic Chinese companies in the EV supply chain, and it also has plans to mass-produce its first consumer EV model in the first half of 2024.

Other innovations spotted by Springwise that aim to make EV technology more efficient include AI that helps city planners build EV charging networks, smart charging that reduces the carbon footprints of EVs, and new technology that could revolutionise EV charging infrastructure.  

Written By: Katrina Lane

29th June 2022

Email: info@chilye.com   

Website: chilye.com

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