Sustainability
Innovation campaign: Spotlight on battery materials
April 2, 2019
Charging electric cars in just 15 minutes: this is going to be possible by 2025 thanks to BASF’s battery materials. The social media campaign “With optimism into the future” again focuses on the company’s innovative strength this year.
BASF is conducting extensive research into cathode active materials to make batteries more powerful, more reliable and more affordable, and to shape the future of electromobility. Electromobility is an important contribution towards addressing the global mobility needs – especially in combination with renewable energy. These efforts support BASF’s engagement for sustainability which is firmly embedded in the new corporate strategy.
The research activities focus on changing the chemical composition, form and structure, and production process. BASF aspires to deliver cathode active materials with the highest energy density in the market. The researchers are pursuing ambitious goals, which include doubling the actual driving range of a mid-sized car (from 300 to 600 km on a single charge) and reducing the charging time to 15 minutes. Additionally, innovative materials contribute to reducing costs while doubling the battery’s lifetime and halving the battery size. BASF expects the market for lithium-ion batteries to grow rapidly.
“In order to increase the acceptance of electromobility in society, we need to come up with appealing solutions in terms of costs, driving range and charging time”, said Peter Schuhmacher, President Catalysts (CC). “This also includes a sustainability concept over the whole supply chain of battery materials: starting from raw materials sourcing, manufacturing, CO2 footprint management, optimized composition of materials, up to the reuse of high-value metals.”
“Chemistry and research play a decisive role in all these efforts. For example, our innovative materials will play a major contribution by shortening the charging time to 15 minutes,” said Detlef Kratz, President Process Research and Chemical Engineering (RC). “To communicate our efforts more strongly, our social media activities will therefore again focus on our innovative battery materials.”