New partnership aims to accelerate the development of technologies for electric vehicles.

Hydro-Québec is partnering with Mercedes-Benz AG to develop new technologies that will advance the evolution of electric vehicles. Researchers from both companies will work together to test new materials with the goal of accelerating the development cycle.

The focus of the research will be solid-state lithium metal batteries, which have a very high energy density, last longer, and are very light. They’re also considered to be a safer alternative to regular lithium-ion batteries, since they don’t have flammable liquid electrolytes. 

Hydro-Québec developed a first-generation solid-state battery in the 1990s and has continued its R&D to improve both efficiency and manufacturing methods. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Mercedes-Benz, an automotive company with an enviable reputation, to pursue our research even further,” said Karim Zaghib, General Manager of Hydro-Québec’s centre of excellence in transportation electrification and energy storage. “Our association will allow us to test new materials quickly in field conditions, and so accelerate the development cycle and respond to the concerns of automobile manufacturers.”

The joint research activities will be carried out at Hydro-Québec’s centre of excellence in transportation electrification and energy storage in Canada as well as the SCE France laboratory, a Hydro-Québec subsidiary.