Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular worldwide. As a result, the demand for the batteries that power them is going through the roof. But there are some problems in the battery world that need fixing. Big car and battery companies are trying to fix these problems by building their own big factories or working together. But there are two big issues they face: it's getting more expensive to get the stuff they need to make batteries, like lithium, and there are still problems with making batteries that work well and are safe. Lots more people want EVs, so battery makers have to make lots more batteries. A smart group called McKinsey wrote an article saying that by 2030, the demand for EVs will go up by about 30%. That's a lot of batteries—almost 4,500 gigawatt-hours! They say that the battery business could get ten times bigger between 2020 and 2030, making as much as $410 billion a year. Most of the batteries they make will be for EVs.
New rules say that batteries have to still be good even after eight years. The U.S. and China want even stricter rules that say batteries have to work well for ten years. These rules tell battery makers they have to make good batteries. They need to stop making bad ones that waste materials and hurt the environment.
What Matters for EV Batteries?
Most electric cars use something called lithium-ion batteries. These batteries make power when little things called lithium ions move inside them. When it's cold, this movement slows down, which makes the battery work less well. And when it's hot, the battery can fail if there are hidden problems inside it.
To keep batteries working well, they need something called a thermal management system. But even this can't fix problems in the battery itself.
Why Testing Matters?
Battery makers really care about making good batteries. This is super important for cars that carry people. But as they make more batteries, it's harder to make sure they're all good. If you manufacture a large quantity of batteries and some of them fail, you lose a substantial amount of money daily. Sometimes, things get into the battery when they're being made and mess them up. Finding these things is important. So is making sure all the parts of the battery are connected properly. But testing batteries in a way that ruins them isn't helpful. So, smart people use something called non-destructive testing. This helps them check batteries without ruining them. It saves money and makes batteries safer.
The Smart Technology Helping Out
A few years ago, people could only check batteries in simple ways. But now, there's cool software that can check batteries in 3D. This software helps people see what's inside batteries and find any problems. This software helps people spot problems like foreign things inside the battery. It also helps them measure how good the battery is. Fixing problems early on makes sure the battery lasts a long time. And all the data from testing batteries can help make new batteries even better. It also helps make sure batteries don't hurt the environment.
Why We Need to Check Batteries?
Batteries are the most important part of an electric car. And they're expensive to make. So, it's really important to make sure they don't break. Checking batteries in smart ways helps make sure they're good from the start. It also helps make better batteries in the future. This way, we can have more electric cars on the road, which is better for the planet.
https://metrology.news/non-destructive-evaluation-technologies-making-batteries-safer-and-more-efficient/
