Slovakia's InoBat Auto has unveiled what it claims is the world's first "intelligent" electric vehicle battery, said to beat competitors' with a higher energy density and an increase in operational range of 20%.
The company's Gen1 lithium battery, ready after just a year of research and development, combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High Throughput (HTP) technology. It also contains less cobalt than batteries currently available in the market, InoBat's co-founder and CEO, Marian Bocek, said in a statement.
The company, backed by a consortium of investors and technology companies, will begin producing the battery next year at its AI-driven battery research centre and production line in Voderady, Slovakia.
InoBat is also advancing plans to build a ?,?1 billion (US$1.2bn) 10 GWh Gigafactory, which would have the potential to generate 240,000 intelligent batteries in 2025.
Both facilities will be strategically located 40 km from the capital, Bratislava, and in close proximity to nine major automakers, including Peugeot, KIA and Jaguar Land Rover.
Global vehicle makers are preparing to launch hundreds of new electric car models over the next few years, responding to pressure from regulators who continue to tighten restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
The European auto industry, in particular, is rushing to meet tighter carbon-dioxide emissions targets that take effect next year or face billions of dollars in fines if they exceed them.
- This article first appeared in MINING.com, part of Glacier Resource Innovation Group.