Blog of Fraunhofer ISI

In recent months, there have been repeated reports of low sales figures for electric cars and redundancies at car manufacturers due to underutilized production lines. The following analysis provides an overview of the current situation on the vehicle market in Germany and Europe.

The following conclusion is drawn in a publication that has been taken up by a German media: If the policy framework for nuclear power plants (NPPs) had been positive in Germany in 2002 and nuclear power had not been phased out, the country would be better off in terms of both spending and greenhouse gas emission reductions in the electricity sector than it is with the current energy transition. Overall, an alternative policy to keep existing NPPs in 2002 and build new ones would have halved spending and ensured Germany could meet its climate targets. This statement is based on a technology comparison of the expenditures for renewable energies on the one hand with a hypothetical scenario of not phasing out nuclear power and expanding NPPs in Germany on the other. The authors of this response are of the opinion that the underlying calculation is based on a fundamental methodological error, which leads to double counting most of the expenditure on renewable energies. The analysis conducted is therefore not scientifically tenable.

In the MobilKULT project, we are investigating the connections between infrastructures, mobility habits, mobility culture and attitudes toward policy measures in the field of mobility such as the Deutschland-Ticket. The survey conducted in spring 2024 looks at how much people’s opinions about different mobility measures diverge. Our findings: Across different social groups, the responses show a high degree of similarity and continuous support for measures such as the Deutschland-Ticket – but there is also agreement that there is currently little support for the transformation of the transport sector.

The recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) will play a central role for Europe in the future. Both expansion projects and announcements of new recycling plants can currently be observed. This blog post is an update of an article from July 2023 and looks at the latest developments.

As the battery industry continues to expand, the need for specialized training and upskilling becomes imperative. In this article, we will explore the different groups within the industry that require vocational training and examine the suitability of pure online trainings. The European Battery Business (EBBC) addresses these needs by providing cutting-edge battery knowledge with industry insights, delivered through innovative micro-learning elements. This ensures self-directed learning and the possibility to educate a high number of personnel at the same time. Does the format and the content of the EBBC fit to the training needs of the growing European battery technology industry?

On behalf of the German Cyclists' Federation (ADFC), researchers at Fraunhofer ISI carried out a new assessment of the potential for cycling in Germany. If comprehensive political measures aimed at becoming a bicycle-friendly country are implemented, the share of cycling on all routes up to 30 kilometres in length could increase to an average of 45 percent. An additional 19 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent (CO₂e) greenhouse gases (GHG) could be saved in transport every year.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have gained in importance in recent years and almost all well-known OEMs mention the technology on their development roadmaps, sometimes with quite specific dates for their implementation. But have SSBs already reached the necessary technological maturity for introduction in the automotive market? Alongside the manufacturers' commercialization announcements, there are still reports from research and development that suggest that there are still major challenges on the road to mass production.

Research planning depends on knowledge about the future. Here, there are various foresight methods, which are becoming better all the time, as they are based on large quantities of data and use AI tools. Foresight based on AI is anything but trivial: Dr. Philine Warnke is a foresight expert at Fraunhofer ISI and has shared the secret of technical foresight, which allows her to recognize trends, before others recognize them. However, results at the push of a button do not exist.

The growing global demand for batteries is currently covered for the largest part by lithium-ion batteries. However, alternative battery technologies are increasingly coming into focus due to geopolitical dependencies and resource availability. What alternatives to lithium-ion batteries can meet the growing demand, ease the raw material situation and reduce geopolitical dependencies? How can supply chains be established in such a way that a resilient and technologically sovereign battery ecosystem can be created in Europe? And what about sodium-ion batteries, already used in electric vehicles in Asia?

According to media reports, the impending cuts to German battery research could have a drastic impact on the competitiveness of the German and thus European battery industry - because this could further increase the already noticeable shortage of skilled labour and scientific experts. In this article innovation researchers from Fraunhofer ISI explain what is at stake and emphasise that the budget for research and development should actually be increased rather than cut. After all, the upcoming market ramp-up in electric mobility by 2030 will create an enormous need for battery expert knowledge.