In this podcast episode, we’re joined by Dr. Billy Wu, Associate Professor (Reader) and Director of Research at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London. Billy shares his compelling vision for transforming how Europe educates and develops battery talent to tackle the complex challenges of the energy transition.

Great article by Dr. Billy Wu: "Addressing the battery talent shortage with interdisciplinarity": https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01576-w

According to Billy, the future of battery education requires a dramatic shift—moving beyond traditional silos to embrace a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that blends chemistry, physics, electrochemistry, process engineering, and computer science. He emphasizes the critical role of artificial intelligence and life-long learning frameworks to prepare students and professionals for rapidly evolving technologies.

Additionally, he highlights the growing importance of corporate responsibility in nurturing talent. This episode delves into why new content and educational strategies are essential to blur boundaries between disciplines and cultivate versatile experts ready to lead in battery technology innovation.

The Faraday Institution: https://www.faraday.ac.uk/career-development/career-portfolio//

Volta Foundation: https://volta.foundation/

International Battery Materials Association (IBA): https://www.international-battery-association.org/

The Electrification Academy: https://electrification-academy.com/

In this episode of Battery Generation, we dive deep into the future of green hydrogen in Europe with our distinguished guest, Dr. Lluís Soler Turu from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. As a leading researcher in hydrogen technologies, Lluís Soler shares insights from his lab where green hydrogen is already being produced using six operational research electrolyzers.

We explore how his team is advancing fuel cell technologies for mobile applications, especially in heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks, and how they’re developing innovative transport systems to distribute hydrogen efficiently.

Our conversation covers the broader landscape of hydrogen's role in Europe's energy transition, guided by Michael Liebreich’s “Hydrogen Ladder 5.0”. We evaluate where hydrogen truly fits in—from niche industrial uses to the complex challenges in aviation and long-distance mobility.

Lluís Soler provides valuable insights into the upcoming ramp-up of the European green hydrogen market and the ambitious vision for a trans-European hydrogen core network. This network of pipelines aims to connect production sites with key industrial consumers, accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels.

In this episode, we dive deep into the high-stakes world of battery venture funding with one of the field’s most respected voices — Dr. Billy Wu. As an expert in battery technologies and a trusted technical due diligence advisor for venture capital firms, Billy Wu occupies a unique vantage point at the intersection of cutting-edge battery science and investment strategy.

What makes a battery startup worth funding? According to Dr. Wu, it's never just hype or a flashy demo. The real story lies in the data: energy and power density, chemistry stability, cost of materials, manufacturing scalability, cycle life, and charging speed — all have to align to form a compelling business case. Billy Wu breaks down how he evaluates this critical data and helps investors separate promising innovation from overpromised vaporware.

But he also sees things from the other side. Having worked directly with startups, Billy Wu understands the technical and commercial pressures founders face when pitching to investors. He shares what early-stage companies often overlook in their funding narratives and how better communication of their tech performance could turn a “maybe” into a strong investment case.

Links to the mentioned papers:

"My cell is better than yours": https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-024-01607-3

"From small batteries to big claims": https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01906-3

"Ten Ways to Fool the Masses When Presenting Battery Research": https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/batt.202100154

Our guest provides rare insight into how deals get done, what technical red flags investors should watch for, and why the right kind of skepticism is crucial in an industry racing toward scalability.

Let's explore the potential of Zinc-Air batteries as a sustainable and innovative alternative to today’s dominant lithium-ion technology. In this episode of Battery Generation Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Simon Clark from SINTEF, one of Europe’s leading research organizations.

Simon walks us through the fundamental chemistry behind Zinc-Air systems and explains why they are gaining attention in the quest for cleaner, safer, and more resource-efficient energy storage solutions. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, Zinc-Air batteries rely on zinc—a widely available and inexpensive material—and oxygen from the ambient air, eliminating the need for critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, or nickel.

We discuss key advantages of Zinc-Air batteries:

However, Simon also addresses the current challenges:

In this episode of the "Battery Generation", we dive deep into the world of AI-powered battery research with Dr. Mohsen Sotoudeh, a leading scientist working at the cutting edge of theoretical modeling for next-generation battery materials.

Dr. Sotoudeh uses artificial intelligence and quantum mechanical simulations to predict promising material combinations. His mission? To provide chemists and experimentalists with the most attractive candidates for future battery breakthroughs - from solid-state electrolytes to novel electrode materials.

💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:

Our guest for today's show is Prof. Stefano Passerini. As battery researcher he works for the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Vienna, he is the former director of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) and Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, primarily due to the abundance and affordability of sodium compared to lithium. Recent research has focused on enhancing their performance to make them viable for various applications, including stationary battery container parks and light electric vehicles.​

Researchers have made significant strides in developing novel cathode and anode materials to improve the energy density and lifespan of SIBs. Innovations include the use of layered transition metal oxides and hard carbon anodes, which have shown improved capacity and stability. Additionally, advancements in electrolyte formulations have contributed to enhanced conductivity and battery longevity. ​

For Europe, Sodium-ion technology is gaining strategic importance, especially in the context of reducing reliance on lithium, which is predominantly sourced from regions with geopolitical constraints. European battery researchers are investing in the development of SIBs to enhance energy security and reduce dependence on lithium imports. Sodium's abundance within Europe is seen as a potential game-changer for domestic battery production. ​

While SIBs currently offer lower energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries, ongoing research aims to bridge this gap. Researcher's forecast suggests that sodium-ion batteries could capture about 10% of annual global energy storage additions by 2030, particularly in applications where cost-effectiveness and the use of locally sourced materials are prioritized. ​

A seawater sodium-ion (Na) battery is an energy storage device that uses seawater as a key electrolyte, utilizing the abundant sodium ions found in seawater instead of the more expensive and scarce lithium. The battery operates by extracting sodium ions from the seawater during charging and storing them in the anode. During discharge, the ions return to the cathode, releasing energy. Seawater Na batteries are considered environmentally friendly and cost-effective due to the abundance of sodium. However, challenges like improving energy density and longevity remain, with ongoing research aiming to enhance their performance for large-scale energy storage.

Before purchasing a second-hand battery-electric vehicle, every buyer and seller asks themselves how the battery state of health (SoH) can be determined as precisely as possible.

First services, such as the "Aviloo Device", are already being offered in order to externally check the condition of the battery. But wouldn't it be much more interesting if there was a kind of "digital twin" of this exact battery that automatically saves all the information needed? A kind of "universal protocol" that provides the SoH - regardless of the manufacturer?

Here is the kicker: Such a "Battery Twin Model" could not only store all the important information, but also provides useful tips on how to handle this individual battery in real-time and in the future. (1) How to charge, (2) How to use the battery better and even (3) Predict its own service life under certain conditions. Brilliant, if such a thing existed!

Meanwhile, there are countless tips on the internet about the Do's and Don't of battery charging. But even research has not yet been able to provide a universal model that applies to every cell chemistry, every cell format, every charging profile, cooling system and type of use.

Our guest for today is Dr. Billy Wu. He is a Reader (Associate Professor) and Director of Research in the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London. He works in the area of electrochemical design engineering.

Our guest for today's episode is John S. Kem, President of American Battery Factory. ABF is currently building up a 4-GWh LFP gigafactory in Tucson, Arizona. A business approach, you wouldnt necessarily see in Europe.

Asking John Kem about strong Chinese battery cell competitors such as BYD or CATL doesn't upset him much: The market for lithium-iron phosphate cells is growing largely within the US. Plus, in times of America-First politics the need for a domestic battery cell production seems to be substantial. So why not ramp-up an LFP line in Arizona?

LFP cells (compared to NMC battery cells) are considered to be much more (1) cost effective, (2) more durable, (3) more environmentally friendly and (4) safer. That's why John Kem is certain that there will be many battery producers in the United States building stationary storage systems in the foreseeable future.

https://americanbatteryfactory.com/

How battery modeling saves unnecessary investments and time! Today, we are talking to Gavin White (CEO About:Energy), a #battery software company from London. About:Energy operates an interesting business model!

(1) The startup is testing numerous commercially available battery cells in order to publish reliable data for European OEMs. Prior to a purchase deal between a car OEM and a cell manufacturer, About:Energy's data is an important external opinion, checking the battery's datasheet. The cell library "Voltt" serves as a cell library, battery producers may get licensed to.

(2) About:Energy helps manufacturers with their cell modelings, directly! By this approach, the lifespan of fresh cells could be prolonged. The cell models suggest different paths in research and development. Plus, they can reveal new unique selling points for the manufacturer.

Moreover, About:Energy offers a Battery #Pack configurator: Apparently, lots of European OEMs still struggle to build their battery packs without any help of modeling. About:Energy's solution, the configurator, provides reliable pack data such as temperatures, current flows, voltage models and physical circuit suggestions, so framework conditions and safety requirements can be met.

Source: https://www.aboutenergy.io

As electric vehicles are getting more popular battery technology has become a focus of interest. EV owners regularly ask themselves how to treat a vehicle’s battery. How should an EV be charged, parked or driven if the inside batteries should be kept in best possible shape?

Prof. David Howey from the University of Oxford researches topics such as the degradation of batteries and battery state of health. This follow-up podcast deals with the following user questions.

1) How to „use batteries better“ with battery lifetime models

Dear listeners, thank you so much for sending in all your questions. We unfortunately couldnt deal with all of them.

Prof. David Howey at the University of Oxford