XNRGI opens first power chip battery factory - in India
By Martin Jendrischik Last updated March 12, 2020
0 10th
divide
Cleantech startup from Canada develops lithium metal batteries and promises better performance data in electric cars.
The American cleantech startup XNRGI relies on well-known manufacturing processes from the chip industry for its battery technology - and uses wafers. In order to make the powerful and long-lasting power chip battery from it, 160 million microscopic holes are drilled - creating a three-dimensional surface with many advantages for the resulting lithium metal battery. Now NRGI has opened the first fully automated factory - in India.
NRGI is not a typical cleantech startup that promises miracle performance data, but leaves the public in the dark about how the technology works. CEO Chris D'Couto has been working on NRGI's battery technology since 2008 - in the past 15 years the company has received or filed 15 patents, 6 patent representations and 13 applications - an indication of why the company is more revealing about its own Technology speaks.
This is how the cleantech startup XNRGI presents itself on the Internet.
More than $ 80 million was invested in the development of the power chip technology - and companies such as Intel, Energizer and Motorola were brought on board as investors. In recent years, NRGI has successfully developed the first silicon chip-based and porous lithium metal battery technology. The Powerchip battery is expected to power the first electric cars as early as 2022 or 2023.
The 160 million tiny holes are drilled in a conventional 12-inch wafer. The two sides of the wafer differ from one another: one side is given a non-conductive coating and the other side is given a conductive coating. After automated production, the power chip battery technology is used for the anodes of the lithium metal battery. The electrodes collect there when the batteries are fully charged.
XNRGI: Powerchip battery technology in the video
The advantage of the XNRGI anode: According to XNRGI, the three-dimensional, holey surface leads to a ten times higher energy density, which would come very close to a revolution. The lifespan can be improved three to five times. CEO Chris D'Couto is convinced that the technology meets the highest security requirements - and can thus eliminate all the disadvantages of previous approaches.
The rather waffle-like structure of the Powerchip batteries offers understandable advantages, since almost every hole drilled is a tiny battery. If a battery fails, the rest of it remains untouched. The surface is also increased by a factor of 70. This is exactly how the batteries should be safer and make fires or explosions impossible.
XNRGI lithium metal battery battery storage in comparison
XNRGI lithium metal battery battery storage in comparison
XNRGI claims that an electric car could be charged 80 percent in 15 minutes using the power chip battery. The technology would increase the range by up to 280 percent - and an electric car could thus cover 1,200 kilometers.
XNRGI opens fully automated power chip factory in India
After all: As promised full-bodied in mid-2019, the company now seems to follow the words with action. At that time, XNRGI announced that the powerchip technology would be used in drones, robots and scooters as early as 2020.
The fully automated plant produces the HT Mobility Smart Telemtry battery XM5kWh for rickshaws, e-bikes, e-motorcycles, golf charts, solar and wind turbines. At the same time, XNRGI is announcing aggressive plans to scale capacity into the multi-gigawatt range - by 2022 as well. Strategic relationships in various parts of the world are to be entered into.
The extent to which the advantages of the power chip battery come into play cannot currently be fully explored.
First XNRGI factory in India.
It remains to be seen to what extent the cleantech startup's promises can be put into practice in the next three years. But: The quality of the investors and the clarity of the statements about the technology and the corresponding patents are signs of hope that it can really work.
A potential buyer of the batteries could be Karma Automotive - the CTO Robert Kruse Jr., who is responsible for the batteries, is also on the Strategic Advisory Board of XNRGY. We stay tuned.
