ION Storage Systems to participate in UMD grant project

Beltsville-based ION Storage Systems Inc. announced Friday it will participate in the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) EVs4ALL program as part of a $­4.8 million grant awarded to the University of Maryland (UMD).

ARPA-E’s EVs4ALL program seeks to increase electric vehicle adoption and market share by developing next-generation battery technologies to significantly improve EV affordability, convenience, reliability and safety. The EVs4ALL project aims to accelerate this objective by enabling a five- to 15-minute charge to 80% of cell capacity.

ION and UMD will realize current density goals in ION’s ceramic bilayer which comprises a dense separator layer and a porous layer which hosts a lithium metal anode. UMD will initiate the partnership and conduct a technology transfer to ION in the second year. This partnership will accelerate advancements in fast charging, solid state cells by integrating a mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) garnet material into ION’s porous layer to enable higher current densities for fast charging at room temperatures with no applied pressure.

The ceramic bilayer architecture will also enable higher energy density cells by integrating cobalt and nickel-free high voltage cathodes with advanced, nonflammable electrolytes during the project period. This design will increase the charge and discharge-rate capability, energy density and operative temperature of solid-state lithium batteries. Through the project approach, ION’s solid-state cell will achieve fast-charge, cost and sustainability requirements critical to electric vehicles.