That’s a wrap! The Battery Show, now in its 14th year, completed its first one at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit this week. By all accounts, the move was a wise decision that led to a successful event.
“Moving The Battery Show into Detroit, a city known for its rich automotive history and growing influence in the EV space, allowed us to highlight its vital role in the future of energy storage and automotive advancements,” shared event director Shamara Ray.
Co-located with the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo, “North America’s largest and most comprehensive battery show” brought together engineers, thought leaders, and top-industry companies, pairing them with educational sessions, networking opportunities, and the latest innovations.
“This year’s event successfully brought together over 1,200 exhibitors, showcasing the latest innovations in battery and electric vehicle technologies. With around 235 speakers, attendees had the opportunity to explore the trends and key developments such as safety, sustainability, and policy shaping the industry,” added Ray.
Our team at EV Engineering & Industry had the opportunity to learn about the newest tech and battery innovations on the market, with a few highlights below. We’ll bring you a few others next week, so be sure to bookmark our site. It’s clear that the batteries, as well as the materials and systems that ensure their safety and efficiency, are advancing rapidly.
In 2025, The Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo will offer a new regional value chain in the Battery Belt with the launch of The Battery Show South, April 16th to 17th at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.
For now, here’s what’s new…
Power analysis
Meet The Power of One, which lives up to its name by offering highly accurate analysis of electric vehicle components — simultaneously.
The system, designed by Yokogawa, consists of a WT 5,000 power analyzer and a DL950, which combines an oscilloscope and portable data acquisition recorder for powertrain testing. The DL950 attains raw waveform data that can be overlaid synchronously with the accurate power parameters.
The result is a precise analysis of:
- The dc components from the battery source
- The ac components from an inverter drive
- The mechanical components from the permanent magnet motor.
“We’re measuring the total system efficiency from the battery pack, the inverter, and the motor, measuring the mechanical power,” shared Cristian Loris, application engineer with Yokogawa, a test and measurement equipment manufacturer. “So, at each point in the system, we’re measuring the efficiency drop along the chain, providing accurate power and waveform analysis to validate the powertrain system. We believe it’s the most accurate power analyzer available in the industry.”
Smarter switching
Given the increasing regulations and integration of safety-critical features within vehicle electrical systems, semiconductor-based solutions offer significant advantages over conventional mechanical relays — most notably, faster switching speeds. In the event of a short circuit, every microsecond counts to ensure a safe and rapid disconnect.
Kyocera AVX’s new Electric Smart Switch has an integrated semiconductor and works to protect the supply circuit during charging and discharging bi-directionally in the event of overcharging or a short circuit. It also permits the pre-charging of a dc network to enhance the service life of system components.
“Slow switching is a serious disadvantage for vehicles, which can lead to short circuits, damaged fuses, or worse,” explained Thomas Schwaiger, product manager with Kyocera AVX, North America. “The smart switch is not just milliseconds faster; we’re talking microseconds. It’s a game changer.”
What makes it so intelligent? “We can it a smart switch because it has a lot more functionality than a typical switch. Aside from its switching speed, it can communicate with the vehicle. So, for example, it can share the current or temperature measurements, and we have a lot more control on the road.”
A reason to vent
There’s much discussion about EV battery safety from overheating, and rightly so. However, protection from external contaminants, such as water, dirt, dust, oil, etc., is also critical. Adequate venting of the battery pack is also necessary to compensate for the pressure differences between the interior of the storage unit and the external environment.
To this end, GVS Group has designed specialized Battery Anti-Explosion Vents with dual functionality. First, they ensure effective pressure equalization while protecting against external contaminants like oil, water, and dust during regular operation.
Additionally, the patented GVS design allows for rapid gas evacuation in the event of thermal runaway — all without compromising the integrity of the membrane.
Controlling the temperature
Temperature control is essential when testing batteries for EVs. Huber’s Unimotive model series is designed to meet these demands, featuring unique thermodynamics for highly accurate and reproducible results. The temperature control systems are constructed for operation with a water-ethylene glycol mixture with corrosion protection down to -45° C.
Typical applications include temperature simulations, as well as material testing and temperature-dependent stress and load tests for automotive parts and functional components.
“Precise temperature regulation is crucial for maintaining consistency and reliability during battery testing in EVs, as it directly impacts the validity of stress and load tests, particularly under extreme thermal conditions,” explained Matthew Queen, VP of Sales, Huber USA.
Unimotive units are ideally suited for integration into test benches for battery testing and quality control. They’re also available for temperature control of climate and vacuum chambers and calibration tasks.
The flat pack
This new battery pack is designed using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and promises some of the highest cycle numbers and charging rates. It is specifically designed for commercial vehicle applications.
Thanks to a recent agreement between BorgWarner and FinDreams Batteries, these innovative LFP battery packs are made to enhance the efficiency, longevity, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of commercial vehicles in the on/off-highway and marine markets.
“The lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry is an exciting technology that’s becoming increasingly important globally due to its cost competitiveness. We have seen increased demand from our customers for packs with LFP cells,” said Frédéric Lissalde, president and CEO of BorgWarner.
The long-lasting Li-Ion LFP Blade battery cells provide an impressive depth of discharge (DoD) range of 98.5%, enabling charging from 10 to 80% state of charge in just 30 minutes. These cells feature excellent volumetric energy density, reaching 280 Wh/l, making them ideal for fast-charging applications. Designed with a cell-to-pack architecture, they’re also suitable for series and parallel connections.
A machine that multi-tasks
The ZEISS O-INSPECT duo is a two-in-one multi-sensory machine that provides precise measurements and high-resolution inspections of large or small components, including batteries. It offers high-quality optics paired with the ZEISS VAST XXT tactile scanning sensor, which enables fast and accurate 3D measurements at different points — without contact and in a single movement.
Optical inspection of large workpieces means cutting or disassembling components is a thing of the past. This saves time and resources, increases efficiency, and reduces any sources of error caused by moving fragmented workpieces between different systems. ZEISS O-INSPECT duo is available in size 8/6/3.
“This multi-sensor CMM offers a high-accuracy camera, measures 2D and 3D components, and offers tactile and non-contact inspections, with a white light sensor that captures workpiece topography. It’s an ideal machine for measuring and inspecting parts for e-mobility,” said Lars Virgin, application engineer with ZEISS.
Safeguarding EV batteries
EV battery safety is non-negotiable. This just got easier, thanks to two innovative materials for battery manufacturers and integrators. The first is Fujipoly’s G1S20488 Anti-Thermal Propagation Material, which acts as a barrier to stop heat from spreading between battery cells. It mitigates the risk of thermal runaway, a hazardous chain reaction where overheating in one cell triggers overheating in another.
What’s more: G1S20488 addresses internal changes within the battery cells, further preventing malfunctions that could lead to safety hazards.
Additionally, G1S20360 Anti-Fire Propagation Material acts as an additional safeguard and fire retardant. In case of unexpected malfunctions, it hinders the initiation and spread of flames within a battery pack. Both materials from Fujipoly enhance overall battery safety and provide peace of mind.
The combo
This all-in-one e-mobility unit combines three products into one for a compact, convenient option that reduces cabling. The Bel Power BCV200-350-8 is a 20-kW combo unit consisting of a trio of subsystems, including:
1. A 15-kW bidirectional inverter/charger (powers in either direction)
2. A 4-kW down converter (12 V)
3. A 1-kW down converter (24 V)
Features include high efficiency (typically 92%), low total harmonic distortion (ac), low output voltage noise (dc), and excellent dynamic response to load/input changes. Standards include a CAN bus serial interface, SAE J1939-compliant CAN Control and Monitoring, SAE J1455-Compliant Environmental Standards, and IP67 and IP6K9K ratings.
Check back next week for more innovations displayed at The Battery Show.
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Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News