The Battery Show, September 13-15, Suburban Collection Showplace, Novi, Michigan
Though it still retains the co-located EV Tech Expo in its curriculum, the fact that the annual electric vehicle showcase outside the Motor City is now primarily entitled ‘The Battery Show’ is indicative of the industry’s priorities. One half of the original show’s name has risen to nominal prominence because of the necessity to find new solutions to efficient, environmentally-friendly batteries that can back up the lofty sustainable goals of the electric vehicle ethos. Emerging worries over the past few years include the volatility of lithium-ion batteries, the problem of non-recyclable parts, and the logistics of a global EV battery supply chain.
This is evidenced in The Battery Show’s 2022 tracks alone. Track A: Battery Industry Developments, will cover battery markets and supply chain, advanced battery technologies and evolution, and battery sustainability and recycling. Track B (Battery Systems In Use) focuses on design and application, with an added component of stationary power advancements. Track C: EV Industry Developments, will include projections and forecasts of both a consumer and business nature, with financial and environmental aspects. It will also take a look at policy and mobility, transportation electrification and emerging applications in the EV industry. Lastly, Track 4 is entitled ‘EVs in Use’. This might fill the one you’ve been waiting for—as it’s a major concern for EV advocates—charging infrastructure. ‘EVs in Use’ will also touch on ‘EV 7 Hybrid Design Advancements’, according to the Battery Show’s press room material.
Keynote speakers this year are drawn from auto giants, startups, and the U.S. government.
The show’s plenary keynote: Outlining the DOE Efforts to Support the Growth of the US Supply Chain for Lithium-based Batteries (Tuesday, September 13 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM) will be led by Peter Faguy, Technology Manager, Vehicle Technologies Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. Faguy will certainly have a lot to discuss—he might’ve even had to re-draft his speech due to recent developments—given the impactful legislation passed this month contains significant electric vehicle stipulations.
On Wednesday (9:00 AM - 9:45 AM), Tim Grewe will dive into battery technology on a mass-production level. Grewe, who is the leader of General Motors’ global battery cell and electrification strategy. His responsibilities include battery cell production and next-generation electrification strategies, will present Outlining How GM's Battery Technology will be Used Beyond Vehicles to Support an All-Electric Future.
Stock up on coffee and have breakfast beforehand, because you won’t get a break on Wednesday morning. Another keynote follows directly after Grewe’s: Optimizing EVs for a More Sustainable Future (Wednesday, September 14 • 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM) presented by Charles Poon, Global Director of Electrified Systems Engineering at Ford Motor Company.
On Thursday, the main keynote addresses lithium-ion batteries and the supply chain in Li-ion Battery Manufacturing and Domestic Supply Chain; Synchronizing Molecules to Machines (Thursday, September 15 • 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM), which will be presented by Shailesh Upreti, founder at iM3NY and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Delhi, India. Notably, Upreti is a former group member of Professor Stan Whittingham, Nobel Laureate and the inventor of Li-ion battery at SUNY Binghamton.
From raw materials to components, The Battery Show is focusing on helping people find what they need to power your next project. Numbers-wise, it brings together more than 750 suppliers showcasing the latest solutions across the transportation, stationary, portable, and industrial sectors. Exhibitors include Parker Hannifin, Marsilli North America, Alliance Winding Equipment, Bosch Rexroth, Cincinnati Test Systems, 3M, Phoenix Contact, and Morgan Advanced Materials, among plenty others.
One new dimension to look forward to this year is the show’s “Lightning Talks”, a cache of 30+ fifteen-minute, rapid-fire presentations grouped together by a specific business, innovation, finding or manufacturing topic. Each of these is followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with the audience. Also, four 3-hour workshops held one day before the expo explore topics “in great depth and breadth, offering a detailed and interactive learning experience on core subject matters in battery and EV tech,” the show says. There will also be 30+ sessions of technical content and analysis given by one presenter, co-presenters or panels of industry experts exploring an array of topics from R&D to the latest industry trends and developments.
Testimonials for the show come from some of the biggest names in the industrial world. The Battery Show “is the premier event for the Battery and EV industry, it brings together all the key players to help companies create innovative strategies in this growing market,” says Paul Gumber, OEM account manager at Rockwell Automation. “I've recommended The Battery Show to numerous friends and colleagues,” says Bob. R Powell, Battery Systems Lab Group Manager for General Motors Global Research, “It is a terrific way to see what is going on especially in automotive electrification; and, with some effort; what may be over the horizon.”
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