Larger-capacity batteries with reduced space requirements are needed not only in the electro-mobility sector but are also a fundamental prerequisite for Germany’s energy transition as a core component of battery storage power plants . As part of the STACK project , the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Ulm (ZSW) has now begun the fully automated pilot production of large-format lithium-ion cells in which the electrodes are stacked rather than wound. This should have increase durability and safety while providing for more storage capacity at the same size. The cells meet the rectangular PHEV-1 standard that is usual for the automotive sector. Researchers at the institute are currently working on improving the electrode stacker, which is used for fully automated production. For now at least, production still takes two to six times as long as for batteries with wound electrode bands.

For car batteries in the field of electro-mobility, the new technology is resulting in many other applications beyond its original purpose. BMW, for example, deployed used batteries from the i3 model to set up a s torage farm near Leipzig , while Stadtwerke Hannover public utilities used a Mercedes-Benz spare parts warehouse as a battery storage device.