Electric powertrain development consultancy CamMotive and advanced materials company Thermulon have been named as technology partners in the £2m (US$2.7m) UK government-backed Drive35 project to enhance safety in next-generation electric vehicle batteries.

The companies will collaborate with a leading UK OEM to tackle the issue of thermal runaway (TR) in EV battery systems.

TR is a significant challenge in EV technology. Lithium-ion battery cells used in EVs can, under certain fault conditions, heat uncontrollably, creating a thermal chain reaction that may propagate across a module or battery pack and potentially lead to fire or explosion. Global regulators and manufacturers are increasingly strengthening safety expectations for battery technologies in response to growing awareness of the issue.

The 12-month UK collaboration will develop and evaluate AeroMotive, a UK-made aerogel-based EV thermal runaway barrier solution being developed for use in next-gen battery systems. The technology uses thin, lightweight layers of highly insulating anti-thermal propagation (ATP) material to limit heat transfer between cells and mitigate the propagation of TR.

CamMotive will design a testing and validation program to evaluate the solution’s performance under various conditions. This includes specialist prismatic cell swelling and compression testing to analyze the impact of forces on battery cell longevity and safety and optimize the performance of the ATP pads.

Luke Barron, senior engineer at Cambridge-based CamMotive, said, “This ground-breaking project will deliver critical research and testing methodologies that make EV batteries safer. By advancing UK innovation in battery technology, we’re helping to accelerate the transition to safer, cleaner, high-performance electric vehicles.”

The project is supported by the UK government’s £4bn (US$5.4bn) Drive35 program, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.

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Shell has unveiled the Triple 10 Challenge concept car, a proof-of-concept vehicle designed to “inspire a new design philosophy for the next generation of battery electric vehicles”.

The compact, mass-market EV demonstrates next-generation electric vehicle capability and offers the industry an alternative to the current reliance on ever-larger batteries by re-imagining the fundamentals of thermal management.

The vehicle meets three ambitious goals that Shell believes can help drive the future of mass-market electric mobility: a sub 10-minute charge time, 10km/kWh economy and a lifecycle 10-metric ton CO2e footprint. These are achieved using Shell’s advanced thermal fluids to achieve optimized thermal management.

The Challenge demonstrates the potential of a simplified, single-circuit cooling architecture to manage the thermal load of the car’s powertrain under extreme fast-charging scenarios in real-world conditions, Shell said.

Cara Tredget, VP mobility and lubricants technology for Shell, said, “With the Triple 10 Challenge concept car, we have unlocked the potential for faster charging, lighter systems and improved lifecycle efficiency by using our advanced thermal fluids. Together with our co-engineering partners, we are proud to develop alternative options for sustainable EV development, leveraging technologies that are available today and are scalable to support customers into the future.”

The concept car has been designed to achieve 10km/kWh in driving economy with a smaller, more efficient battery system, with a more than 30% improvement in overall energy efficiency compared with many current-generation EVs.

The vehicle can charge its battery from 10% to 80% in 9 minutes and 54 seconds, while maintaining thermal stability and battery longevity, according to the company. Unlike many ultra-fast-charging EVs that require chargers rated above 300kW, the vehicle achieves this performance using a standard 175kW charger available on existing charging networks.

At this charging rate, the vehicle adds up to 24km of driving range per minute, compared with an average of 13km per minute for typical battery-electric vehicles using the same charger – nearly 90% more range added per minute of charging.

The concept car is estimated to have a lifecycle carbon footprint of approximately 10 metric tons CO2e. Enabled by its lightweight design, optimized battery capacity, low-carbon and recyclable materials, together with 100% renewable electricity for vehicle charging, this is estimated to represent around a 50% reduction in lifecycle emissions compared to typical battery electric vehicles in the European market.

Immersive thermal management: Shell Recharge

Unlike traditional cooling systems that use water-glycol, Shell’s Recharge dielectric fluid enables direct immersion cooling of the battery and indirect cooling of the powertrain components, including the motor and power electronics. By redefining heat management across the battery and powertrain, the team has unlocked the potential for faster charging, lighter systems and improved lifecycle efficiency.

By incorporating a more compact and efficient battery pack design with fewer modules and using Shell’s advanced thermal fluid, enabling a simplified housing architecture, these improvements contribute to about a 25% reduction in overall battery pack cost compared to a conventional EV.

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Texas Instruments (TI) has launched a high-cell-count battery monitor with an integrated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) engine, bringing predictive intelligence, comprehensive data and real-time diagnostics to battery monitoring in electric vehicles and energy storage system applications.

The BQ79826Z-Q1 battery monitor enhances safety and extends battery life by detecting potential failures from within battery cells. The single chip tracks up to 44% more channels than previous generations. With this increase, the device significantly decreases the number of components required in a battery pack, reducing system complexity and cost without compromising reliability

“The electrification of transportation and the rapid expansion of energy storage are redefining what battery performance must deliver, and as a leader in battery management technology, TI is uniquely positioned to meet that challenge,” said Wenjia Liu, vice president and general manager, battery management systems (BMS) at TI.

“Our high-cell-count battery monitor with a built-in EIS engine helps ‘shine a light’ inside battery cells, delivering rich chemical-state data that enables systems’ software to make informed, real-time decisions on safety and performance of the battery pack, allowing engineers to address the most critical challenges in battery management.”

Delivering safety and performance with EIS technology 

EIS monitors a battery and delivers continuous, real-time insight that reveals the battery’s health and warns of issues before they become critical. Integrated EIS technology enables the BQ78926Z-Q1 to detect fault conditions earlier – from inside the cells – helping maintain safety and notifying passengers of potential vehicle hazards such as thermal runaway.

Maximizing efficiency with industry-leading cell count

According to the company, the BQ79826Z-Q1 supports up to 26 cells per device – eight more than competing solutions. By reducing the number of monitoring devices required, it lowers bill-of-materials costs, simplifies system architecture and minimizes board space requirements, delivering significant cost savings per channel without compromising quality or reliability.

When paired with the BQ79881-Q1 pack monitor and optional TI communications bridge, these devices create a powerful chipset that works across different module sizes, battery chemistries and mechanical designs, giving engineers the flexibility to design once and deploy everywhere.

Calculating charge readings with the best-in-class accuracy

With a voltage accuracy of <2mV across a full temperature range of –40°C to +125°C, higher resolution analog-to-digital converters and ultra-low noise, the BQ78926Z-Q1 enables more accurate state-of-charge calculations, directly addressing one of the biggest concerns for EV drivers: range anxiety.

Using EIS technology, this device enables more accurate temperature and state-of-charge estimation, helping designers achieve longer battery life and faster charging without compromising battery health.

With an EIS measurement time that is five times faster than previous solutions, this device delivers the highest functional safety voltage reading per cell. Compliance with Automotive Safety Integrity Level D and International Organization for Standardization 26262 gives designers a smarter, more efficient path to safer, longer-lasting batteries.

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Scania has begun the global sales rollout of its new under-cab battery module, which enables operators to optimize battery capacity for the vast majority of transportation needs. Heavy loads, advanced bodywork and long-haulage transportation assignments can now be electrified with improved operational precision, and in some applications, it’s now possible to achieve a range well beyond 800km on one charge.

The positioning of the battery module under the cab of the Scania electric truck frees up more space for bodywork and addresses how to balance the needs of range, without reducing the payload. The increase in gross train weight allowance introduced by the European Union in 2025 means that Scania can deliver a 400kWh usable capacity option for 360km of typical range without needing to lower payload – all the way up to the legal maximum.

The right battery charging strategy

Battery capacity is not the only factor that determines an electric truck’s operational range. While larger batteries can support longer distances, they may be unnecessary for transportation operations with shorter daily routes, such as 300km instead of 500km. In some applications, using a larger battery than is necessary for the route can lead to a a reduced payload capacity due to the additional weight.

Instead, the charging strategy used for the job plays a key role, and the introduction of Scania’s Megawatt Charging System (MCS) supports this focus. Given the legally required rest breaks for the drivers, transporters can plan a battery charge during a journey at a natural stopping point, and top up from 20% to 75% – a further charge could be done at the delivery depot or on the way back to the truck’s base, all of which helps reduce both operating and capital expenditure.

“The new under-cab battery module optimizes the placing of the truck batteries to transporters’ advantage,” said Tobias Ejderhamn, global manager, transformation and new business at Scania. “Thus, with the right battery set-up, MCS and a good charging strategy – using Scania’s own charging company Erinion or Scania Charging Access out on the road – our customers can easily solve the range versus payload question.

“All of this just underlines the fact that haulage companies who choose Scania’s electric trucks are transporting goods, not kilowatt hours, and reducing their total cost of operation.”

“Scania can now offer transport operators a comprehensive path to electrification and sustainable transport; one that is reliable, seamless, and commercially viable,” said Lars Gustafsson, head of solutions management at Scania. “With these two new additions to customers’ armory it has become even easier and more attractive to make the change to electric transport.”

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Battery intelligence specialist BatteryIQ is calling for the adoption of connected battery-health monitoring across electric vehicles and micromobility, stating that the technology could help manufacturers detect safety risks early and prevent large-scale recalls. The company says continuous battery monitoring would enable potential faults to be identified long before they became dangerous.

The call follows recent high-profile electric vehicle battery recalls affecting thousands of cars in the UK, highlighting the growing challenge of managing lithium-ion battery safety as electrification accelerates across transportation sectors.

BatteryIQ’s innovative battery management systems can detect abnormal behaviors at the individual vehicle level, enabling targeted intervention instead of fleet-wide action.

“Car manufacturers could avoid major recalls caused by suspected battery issues,” said Nick Bailey, founder of BatteryIQ. “Innovative battery management systems created by BatteryIQ can pinpoint abnormal behaviors in a specific vehicle or a small group of vehicles. In many cases, this means issues can be addressed early, sometimes even via software update, without the need to recall entire fleets.”

The company says the lithium-ion industry is moving from reactive safety, responding after faults emerge, toward predictive monitoring that continuously tracks battery health in real-world use.

Its innovative battery management systems embed intelligent monitoring within the battery system, analysing cell behaviors, degradation patterns and operating conditions in real time to identify early warning signs of failure, damage or misuse.

“Battery-health monitoring is effectively the equivalent of having a smoke alarm inside a battery system,” Bailey explained. “It provides early warning of stress, degradation or abnormal cell behaviors long before a dangerous condition develops.

“The next step for the industry has to be the universal adoption of connected battery-health monitoring. Manufacturers, operators and users should receive alerts well before a battery reaches a critical or unsafe state.”

The company says this shift would enable earlier detection of defective or degrading batteries, enabling targeted servicing or software intervention before problems escalate. It could also reduce fire risks and safety incidents, lower warranty and recall costs, and increase confidence among insurers and regulators, supporting the safer adoption of electrified transportation.

Tanya Sinclair, CEO, Electric Vehicles UK, said, “Electrification isn’t just about selling vehicles; it’s about creating a mature, resilient ecosystem around them. Connected battery-health monitoring is exactly the kind of smart, preventative technology that builds confidence across the system: for drivers, manufacturers, insurers and regulators alike. It also creates efficiencies not possible with combustion cars.”

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Donut Lab commissioned the internationally recognized Technology Research Centre VTT to independently evaluate its first serially producible solid-state battery. Initial testing has confirmed that the Donut Battery can be fully charged in just five minutes, and Donut Lab has published the results of its first measurements analyzing the battery’s key features.

The tests evaluated the Donut Battery’s charging speed and thermal behavior during charging. They simulated a worst-case scenario in which the battery cell lacks active temperature controls and its temperature can rise freely at extremely high charging rates.

The measurement was done using two passive cooling configurations. In the first, the cell was surrounded by two lightly compressed aluminum cooling plates; in the second, the cell was attached to only one bottom cooling plate. Recharging rates are indicated using C-rates, where 1C means the battery is charged from empty to full in one hour (5C = ~12 min, 11C = ~5-6 min). Traditional lithium-ion batteries typically charge at 1C to 3C with active cooling, whereas in this measurement the charging power rises to significantly higher rates without active cooling. The testing began with a standard discharge capacity test at 1C, which was followed by rapid charging tests (at 5C and 11C) with both cooling configurations.

The results are in line with the five-minute charging time previously announced by the company.

The measurements indicate that the Donut Battery can tolerate high charging rates without active temperature control. Under the specified test conditions, the cell was charged at 5C for more than nine minutes, reaching 80% state of charge in approximately 9.5 minutes and 100% in just over 12 minutes. Following discharge, the cell delivered 100% of the charged capacity.

The battery cell was then recharged rapidly at the extreme speed of 11C. Charging from 0-80% was achieved in 4.5 minutes and a full 100% state of charge in just over seven minutes. When discharged after a full charge, 98.4-99.6% of the battery capacity was available for use.

Even though the testing conditions did not directly simulate cell behavior in a battery pack, the testing demonstrates the benefits of the Donut Battery as part of a pack. The battery cell does not require any particular compressive force and works well with passive cooling, which simplifies the battery pack architecture.

“Unlike other solid-state batteries requiring high compressive pressures and undergoing volume changes of up to 15-20% during recharging cycles, the Donut Battery does not require special compression or more extensive cooling. This greatly simplifies the structure of battery packs and enables solutions that are cost-efficient, powerful and better than traditional lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy and power density,” said Donut Lab CTO Ville Piippo.

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Integrals Power‘s lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cathode active materials have proved both durability and performance in long-term cycling and extreme low temperature testing conducted by QinetiQ.

The ongoing test program has achieved more than 1,500 charge and discharge cycles at a 1C rate, with the pouch cell retaining nearly 80% of its original capacity. The 1,000-cycle milestone was passed last year, at which point the retained capacity was more than 80%. Durability is critical for lithium-ion battery packs in applications requiring long service life with minimal degradation, such as electric vehicles.

Sub-zero testing by Cranfield University evaluated the pouch cell’s ability to retain high capacity in extremely low temperatures. The tested cell, from the same batch as those evaluated by QinetiQ, retained 85% of capacity at -25ºC and 68% at -30ºC. In comparison, benchmark LFP and LMFP chemistries typically retain around 50% and 40%, respectively.

In addition to durability and performance, Integrals Power’s LMFP material offers lower cost, improved safety, reduced toxicity, less reliance on critical minerals and a smaller carbon footprint compared with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistries commonly used in EV batteries. It also provides higher energy density than LFP.

Integrals Power founder and CEO Behnam Hormozi said, “Independent, third-party testing by industry experts is a cornerstone of our business, and these latest results from QinetiQ and the University of Cranfield are invaluable in providing trusted and credible data to our customers around the world.

“The results prove that batteries made from our LMFP material can last longer, and perform better in sub-zero conditions. Overcoming the compromises and limitations imposed by existing cell chemistries is essential if battery power is to realize its full potential across a range of sectors, and we’re showing that it can do exactly that.”

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Hyundai Motor Company’s Xcient Fuel Cell Class-8 truck fleet has logged 20,000,000km across Europe. Over five years, 165 trucks have operated in Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Austria, highlighting the potential of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in commercial transportation.

“Hyundai Motor is reducing carbon emissions by working with global partners to deploy hydrogen fuel cell trucks across various sectors such as logistics, distribution and urban public operations,” said Chul Youn Park, head of the global commercial vehicle and light commercial vehicle business division at Hyundai Motor Company. “Starting with our initial operations in Switzerland, we have expanded our presence across multiple regions in Europe while achieving visible progress in North America as well. Our hydrogen commercial vehicles continue to demonstrate their value as mobility solutions for a more advanced future, helping build the hydrogen ecosystem and expanding their global impact.”

Hydrogen mobility

First launched in Switzerland in October 2020, Xcient Fuel Cell trucks initially reached 10,000,000km of cumulative driving distance in the country by June 2024. The trucks’ consistent performance has spurred expansion into new regions and a growing range of applications, including food and beverage logistics, supermarket distribution and specialized vehicle types such as refuse and crane trucks.

Compared with a fleet of conventional diesel trucks, which would emit around 13,000 tons of CO2 over 20,000,000km, Hyundai’s Xcient Fuel Cell trucks achieve a substantial reduction in carbon emissions – roughly equivalent to the annual CO2 absorption of 1.5 million pine trees.

Hyundai Motor launched the new Xcient Fuel Cell truck in 2025, with an upgraded hydrogen fuel cell system. The vehicle has undergone rigorous testing since 2021, ensuring its suitability across a range of climates and use cases. This testing, combined with continuous collaboration with fleet operators, has ensured the vehicle meets various customer driving needs.

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Hyundai Motor Group has announced plans to accelerate the global rollout of its advanced vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services. These technologies enable electric vehicles to store, supply and share electricity with homes and power grids, positioning EVs as integral elements of the global energy ecosystem.

The group is expanding its services to include vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in Korea and Europe, as well as vehicle-to-home (V2H) services in the US.

“V2G services are expected to provide EV customers with a new mobility experience related to their energy life,” said Hokeun Chung, executive vice president of future strategy division at Hyundai Motor Group. “Through the domestic and overseas V2G services, we aim to strengthen the competitiveness of EVs while also playing a pivotal role in leading the eco-friendly mobility market and future energy market.”

Leveraging EVs as flexible grid resources

In Korea, the group will launch the nation’s first V2G pilot service in Jeju Island by the end of 2025, using the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. The initiative aims to tackle Jeju’s renewable-energy surplus by using electric vehicles as flexible grid resources capable of returning stored electricity to the system.

Hyundai Motor Group, as the project lead, will overseess the technology verification of V2G and manage the overall operation, while the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will support regulatory and policy improvements essential for implementation. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) will facilitate the integration of EVs into the distribution grid, and Hyundai Engineering will focus on analyzing charging station operations and exploring future service enhancements.

Participants will be able to charge their EVs when energy prices are low and discharge electricity when prices rise through Jeju’s real-time energy market, supporting grid stability while helping reduce overall energy costs. Following the pilot phase, the group plans to expand V2G services nationwide in cooperation with government and municipal partners.

V2G in Europe

In Europe, Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its customer-centric energy solutions by introducing a commercialized V2G service in the Netherlands. As the first OEM to launch a customer-focused V2G service, the group is building on the smart charging (V1G) service introduced earlier this year. Customer recruitment for the V2G service will begin at the end of 2025.

The V2G service will use bidirectional chargers compatible with Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Customers on utility tariff plans will be able to automate charging during low-rate periods and sell surplus energy back to the grid at peak times, reducing electricity costs while creating new opportunities in energy trading.

Initially, this service will also be available only for the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, but there are plans to expand coverage to other EV models. The group also aims to roll out the V2G service to other European countries, further advancing customer convenience and supporting the region’s transition toward smarter energy systems.

V2H service in the US

In the US, the group will launch its vehicle-to-home services in the near term, enabling EVs to provide energy solutions during natural disasters such as large wildfires, routine power outages and peak-demand periods.

Kia’s V2H service, launched in February 2025, enables EV9 owners to use their vehicles as reliable household backup power. Hyundai Motor will roll out V2H for the Ioniq 9, while Kia plans to extend the service to the EV6.

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XD Thermal Technology has advanced its side-cooling solutions for cylindrical cell-to-pack battery packs, with large-scale production capacity and automotive-grade process control positioning the company as a key supplier, the company says.

Super-fast-charging cylindrical packs contend with heat accumulation during high current/voltage in charging and discharging with high C-rate. XD Thermal’s side liquid-cooling concept routes serpentine tubes along the cell sidewall, increasing effective contact area versus bottom cooling plates. The enlarged vertical contact surface well resolved the challenge of heat gradients in Z-axial direction and eventually enables each individual cell to stay in a much more balanced temperature range, which is considered as a positive factor to maintain a longer life for Li-ion batteries.

XD Thermal has developed a family platform of side-cooled modules and packs built around robust structures and reliable quality assurance methods. Cooling tubes are pitched to match cylindrical cell layouts and can be combined flexibly with different manifolds, brackets and pipelines, while validated flow-path structures and internal design rules keep heat-transfer performance predictable from prototype to mass production.

“Platformized design reduces development cost and time and supports agile development for our customers,” said Guo, a technical engineer at XD Thermal. “With proven solutions of pipeline connections, electrical insulation and geometric combinations, we helped many customers complete side-cooled battery development smoothly.”

“Ramp-up and industrialization matters as much important as product development,” said Sun, head of manufacturing engineering at XD Thermal. In 2024, the company commissioned high-volume serpentine-tube lines with a daily capacity of 30,000 pieces, integrating automated forming, welding, cleaning and 100% leak testing.

“We provide a repeatable, scalable production system with confirmed development roadmap and SOP schedule, giving us proven capability for production ramp-up and line expansion. Normally, production line and toolings preparation could be finished 6-8 weeks before PPAP,” added Sun.

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