Volkswagen is set to significantly increase the amount of nickel in its electric vehicle batteries.
Nickel is an important component in battery manufacturing, and helps increase the storage capacity and energy density of batteries. This, in turn, can lead to lower cost-per-kWh of storage, according to the Nickel Institute.
VW’s current generation of batteries are comprised of 65% nickel but, according Reuters, the automaker’s “next generation batteries will have 80% nickel, 10% cobalt and 10% manganese.” The increased nickel should help the company significantly improve its electric vehicles’ storage capacity and range.
Reuters goes on to say that VW plans to produce 3 million electric vehicles by 2025. The company’s new battery tech should go a long way toward ensuring their new vehicles are competitive in an increasingly crowded field.