Volkswagen Group’s battery subsidiary PowerCo has selected nanotechnology company OCSiAl to supply carbon nanotube additives for its Unified Cell battery platform, supporting the development of the automaker’s next-generation standardized battery cells.
Under the agreement, Luxembourg-based OCSiAl will manufacture its TUBALL single-wall carbon nanotube additives at its production facility in Serbia for use in the graphite anodes of PowerCo’s battery cells.
Nanotubes for Battery Performance
PowerCo said the nanotube additives are expected to improve the safety, charging performance and service life of its lithium-ion batteries.
According to OCSiAl, the TUBALL additives create a conductive three-dimensional network within the battery’s graphite anode, improving electrical conductivity and heat dissipation.
Gregory Gurevich, Senior Vice President at OCSiAl, said the technology supports higher charging and discharging performance.
“Single wall carbon nanotubes significantly enhance the electrical conductivity of graphite anodes and improve heat dissipation, enabling battery cells to operate at higher charging and discharging currents without overheating.”
Supporting Volkswagen’s Unified Cell Strategy
PowerCo began manufacturing its Unified Cell at its Salzgitter facility in December as part of Volkswagen Group’s strategy to standardize battery production across multiple vehicle brands.
The prismatic cell measures 256 × 24.8 × 106 millimeters and is designed to support a range of battery chemistries, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP), nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and future solid-state batteries.
The standardized format is intended to improve manufacturing efficiency while allowing deployment across vehicle segments ranging from compact electric cars to premium SUVs and sports cars.
The Unified Cell will make its first series production debut in Volkswagen’s Electric Urban Car Family, with the upcoming ID. Polo expected to be offered with both LFP and NMC battery options.
Expanding European Production
OCSiAl said it already supplies carbon nanotube materials to a majority of electric vehicle battery manufacturers in Europe and expects demand to increase as new battery platforms enter production.
The company is evaluating additional manufacturing capacity in Europe and is planning a $300 million flagship graphene nanotube production facility in Luxembourg.
Gurevich said OCSiAl’s technology is already used in approximately one million electric vehicles worldwide.
“Today, batteries containing OCSiAl nanotubes power around one million electric vehicles worldwide. In the PowerCo project, we supply nanotube solutions for graphite anodes. These advanced conductive additives are essential for high-performance battery platforms produced at industrial scale.”
