The photo is sourced from topcarnews.net
The parties plan installation of RapidX batteries in 10,000 light commercial vehicles and more than 200 electric buses to be sold in the cities of Pune and Mumbai, western India. The project will help Log9 Materials raise funds for development of a new type of fuel cells, the device converting chemical energy into electricity.
The most common type of such devices is hydrogen fuel cells producing electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. This technology is most widespread in public and commercial vehicles: in 2020, the worldwide number of buses was 5,400 and fuel-cell trucks – 3,200, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, hydrogen is highly flammable and requires special storage conditions (high pressure tanks). At the same time, production of fuel cells requires expensive rare-earth metals (particularly platinum), which are used as catalysts.
Log9 Materials, founded in India in 2015, tried to solve these problems by introducing air-aluminum fuel cells consisting of aluminum plates and an aqueous electrolyte. The dissolution of the plates in an aqueous electrolyte leads to a chemical reaction producing thermal and electrical energy. Recharging these fuel cells would be purely mechanical: it would require replacement of the electrolyte and aluminum plates. The idea of introducing this technology has already sparked interest among investors: Log9 Materials has raised $10 million in private funds since its founding, including from Indian battery manufacturer Amara Raja Batteries, as well as venture companies Petronas Ventures and Exfinity Ventures.
Log9 Materials developments are part of a global boom in the energy storage ideas and technologies. According to the IEA, global investment in the industry has increased from $2 billion in 2016 to $7 billion in 2021.
