Battery Breakthrough: Why Tesla and BMW Are Now Turning Their Attention to Dresden

When it comes to batteries, we’re always looking to China. This time, however, the technology for the next generation of battery factories could come from Germany: The Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden has developed DRYtraec, a dry-coating process that is a global leader in its field. The electrodes are produced directly from powder, without the need for the highly energy-intensive drying lines—up to 100 meters long—found in today’s gigafactories.

We talk with Dr. Benjamin Schumm from Fraunhofer IWS about:

• the financial benefits of dry coating for electric vehicles in euros
• how a 2010 rolling pin experiment led to a process for pilot production
• what Tesla claims to already be producing using dry coating in Grünheide and what BMW is researching
• whether patents and licenses can prevent Chinese manufacturers from adopting the process
• why solid-state and sodium-ion batteries could benefit particularly

Find the episode here