Wonder material draws EV battery interest

Several auto suppliers view the material graphene as a potential game-changer for electric vehicle battery technology, shortening charging times while increasing range and performance.

But it might be years before the durable and ultralight material can be used in EV batteries, said Conrad Layson, alternative-propulsion analyst at AutoForecast Solutions.

"Is it a potentially wonderful substance to use? Yes," Layson said. "But the cost of getting a sheet of graphene together, and the labor it takes, is astronomical."

In its purest form, graphene is a strong, highly conductive material made up of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms. Its structure and chemical properties have made it an intriguing substance for many companies looking to decrease charging times for EVs and to make batteries be safer, last longer and become more efficient.

In 2016, British supercar maker Briggs Automotive created an edition of its Formula One vehicle, the BAC Mono, that used graphene for its body panels.

Its highly conductive nature could be "beneficial to a battery cell manufacturer," Layson said, "because you want a substance that allows electrons to get into a battery cell as well as get out. Graphene has the potential to decrease charging times and increase the voltages at which you charge."

A graphene-enhanced battery could theoretically charge up to 80 percent capacity in 10 to 15 minutes, according to Layson, compared with the typical 30-minute charge time for many EV drivers. Shortening charge times would help to address the issue of range anxiety, one of the top concerns consumers have when deciding whether to go electric.

So why not use graphene?

A sheet of graphene, as small as one-atom thick, remains expensive to produce at scale, limiting its potential to immediately make an impact in the market, Layson said.

"It occurs naturally in graphite, and it can be enhanced through the use of various manufacturing methods," he said. "But none of them are at scale now.

"I'm hopeful for graphene, but I'm not confident that we'll see anything this decade," he said.

Still, many suppliers and startups are taking a hard look at graphene and at its potential to improve battery performance. A subsidiary of German supplier Robert Bosch entered an agreement with Graphene Manufacturing Group of Australia in October to become an "engineering, design and construction contractor" for the group as it looks to build a factory to produce the material.

Bosch ranks No. 1 on Automotive News' list of the top global suppliers, with annual parts sales to automakers of $46.52 billion in 2020.

Similarly, Canada's Martinrea International Inc. last year launched a joint venture with Montreal graphene producer NanoXplore Inc. that both companies hope will result in the construction of a major battery plant.

VoltaXplore, as the JV is known, is "making great progress and is on track in meeting its expected milestones," Martinrea CEO Pat D'Eramo said during a March earnings call. "We remain excited about this potential game-changing technology."

VoltaXplore has a small demonstration facility in Montreal, where the company hopes to prove that lithium ion batteries enhanced with graphene can achieve reduced charging times and enhanced range.

Martinrea expects a decision to be made in the middle of this year on whether VoltaXplore will go ahead with the construction of a 10-gigawatt-hour battery plant. If so, it would be built in two phases, with the first opening in mid-2024, followed by an expansion by 2026.

Graphene also holds potential in automotive applications outside of the battery. Martinrea Executive Chairman Rob Wildeboer noted on the earnings call that the company had begun producing "graphene-enhanced brake lines" for customers in 2021, calling it a "technological first" for the industry.

Martinrea ranks No. 73 on the top global suppliers list, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $2.45 billion in 2020.