NOVEMBER 2024AUTOTECHOUTLOOK.COM8IN MY OPINIONAs we at GM continue to build out a lineup of fully electric vehicles, it's essential that we grow and apply our scientific expertise in nanomaterials to develop and manufacture these critical materials.Various definitions of a nanomaterial have emerged from industry, government, and standards organizations. Perhaps one of the more compelling of these is from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO): "a material with any external dimension in the nanoscale or having internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale." Here, "nanoscale" covers 1-100 nanometers, where 1 nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Common things with at least one dimension in the nanoscale range are a glucose molecule (~1 nm), a DNA strand (~2 nm), and quantum dots (1-10 nm): all are too small to see with the unaided human eye.Nanomaterials, which are most relevant to our business as key components of our battery cells, are typically synthesized in powder form and then applied as "slurries" onto metallic current collectors during battery cell manufacturing. For example, our negative electrode material, or anode, is typically graphite consisting of stacked layers of graphene. Alternatively, positive electrode materials for our cathodes consist of transition metals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese, as well as aluminum. Because of their "open" nanoscale structures, Li ions can easily move in and out of them as part of a sequence of electrochemical reactions that enable the cell to power a vehicle.It's incredible to think that today's Ultium-powered EV vehicles, such as the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ, are powered by something so small. While our Ultium propulsion technology can power an entire portfolio of EVs, we're not stopping there.My team of about 70 electrochemists, materials scientists, physicists, and chemical and mechanical engineers in GM's Research and Development labs in Warren, Michigan, are hot on the trail of new battery chemistries that hold great promise for future GM EVs. My team experiments with different types of nanomaterials every day, comprising everything from iron-based cathodes to silicon anodes.THE IMPORTANCE OF NANOMATERIALS IN GM'S ALL-ELECTRIC FUTUREBy Mei Cai, Director, Battery Cell Systems Research, General MotorsMei Cai
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