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#08 E-car batteries: Are they really efficient and clean?
Shaping Mobility – The Volkswagen Podcast – Episode 8
The presenter duo Ralf Blasig and Vincenzo Lanzilotti talk to Franziska Killiches, an expert in the sustainable acquisition of raw materials at Volkswagen, and Dr. Matthias Ullrich, Head of Technology and Cell Development at Volkswagen Group Components. Another guest on the podcast is Prof. Martin Winter.
Please note: this Podcast is only available in German language.
The battery is a central component of any electric car: This is where the energy is stored, without which the car will not move a metre. We take a closer look at the battery in the Shaping Mobility Podcast: How far can we travel on one battery charge? What is Volkswagen working on? What technology will soon be ready for use? And: What truth is there in the criticism of the mining of raw materials needed for batteries? Providing the answers are Franziska Killiches, an expert in the sustainable acquisition of raw materials at Volkswagen, and Dr. Matthias Ullrich, Head of Technology and Cell Development at Volkswagen Group Components. Another guest on the podcast is Prof. Martin Winter. The chemist heads the MEET battery research centre at the University of Münster and is the founding director of the Helmholtz Institute in Münster – a sub-institute of the Jülich Research Centre.
Vincenzo Lanzilotti and Ralf Blasig spoke to them and learned the following:
- Volkswagen is expanding its battery expertise at high speed. The next step is to move into cell production.
- A unit cell for the Volkswagen Group will reduce the cost of batteries and thus e-cars.
- Only sustainably mined raw materials are acceptable for Volkswagen. The company is working with partners to achieve transparent supply chains and better mining conditions.
The experts
We have stringent requirements of our battery suppliers, as far as transparency is concerned. We demand transparency right through to the mining – they must disclose that to us. We also send auditors to our sub-suppliers and check whether the information submitted is true.
Franziska Killiches
Expert in the sustainable acquisition of raw materials at Volkswagen
Franziska Killiches has been working in the “Sustainable Management Purchasing” department within the Volkswagen Group since the start of 2019. Her subject area: responsible acquisition of raw materials. The political scientist and water economist from Berlin was previously a consultant with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Her fields of work included human rights, combating corruption and sustainability in the mining and raw materials sector.
Lithium-ion technology impresses with its reliability, service life and quality. It is now important to make the whole thing more sustainable. We are confident that we can make the battery of tomorrow more sustainable than that of today, whilst maintaining the same levels of performance and safety.
Prof. Martin Winter
Head of the MEET battery research centre at the University of Münster and Director at the Helmholtz Institute Münster, a branch of the Jülich Research Centre
Chemist Martin Winter has been working and researching in the field of electrochemical energy storage and energy conversion for 30 years. His focus is on developing new materials, components and cell designs for lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, as well as alternative battery systems. He is professor of “Materials Sciences, Energy and Electrochemistry” at the Institute for Physical Chemistry at the University of Münster (WWU), is scientific head of the MEET battery research centre at WWU Münster, and founding director of the Helmholtz Institute in Münster, a sub-institute of the Jülich Research Centre.
Volkswagen can build cars. We have been building battery systems for ten years, but buy the cells in. To become world leader, we must also develop and produce the battery cells ourselves.
Dr. Matthias Ullrich
Head of Technology and Production Development of Battery Cells at Volkswagen Group Components
Dr. Matthias Ullrich is responsible for the technology and production development of battery cells, in the business field of battery cells and systems, at Volkswagen in Salzgitter. Ullrich has been working for Volkswagen since 2000 in the fields of Group research, fuel cell development, powertrain development and, most recently, electrics/electronics, where he was responsible for development the Volkswagen brand’s high-voltage battery systems. Before joining Volkswagen, the physician worked for VARTA Batterie AG, the Hahn Meitner Institute and Hoechst AG.
