Heat resistant EV batteries, Skoda’s wires back, death of the Euro-MPV – the week

LG Chem said this week it had developed a highly heat resistant plastic which can significantly delay “thermal runaway” in lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). The South Korean parent of the world’s second largest EV battery manufacturer, LG Energy Solution (LGES), said the new material has the longest flame blocking duration in the world. LG Chem said in-house tests showed the material ’prevented flame propagation for over 400 seconds above 1,000 degrees, 45 times longer than general flame-retardant plastics’, which would provide more time for the safe evacuation of vehicle occupants in the case of a battery fire. The material is also said to have superb dimensional stability, maintaining its shape despite extreme temperature changes. LG Chem said thermal runaway is a main…

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