New Battery Lab sets scene for industry innovations

U-M debuted its groundbreaking Battery Fabrication and Characterization User Facility (Battery Lab) in October 2015, to the delight of startups, established companies and academics eager to build and test prototypes.

Located inside the Energy Institute on North Campus, the Battery Lab was funded with a $2 million investment from the university supplemented by $5 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and $2.1 million from Ford Motor Company.

During the past two decades, battery technology has progressed slowly while the devices they power — from cell phones to cars to medical implants — have evolved rapidly. Researchers have been exploring ways to make batteries lighter, more efficient, safer and more cost-effective, but so far, commercialization of new battery technologies has proven elusive.

The Battery Lab is expected to change that. “We feel confident that we’ve built the nation’s most complete, customized battery research open-user facility. This infrastructure investment is key to achieving the breakthroughs needed to make both electric vehicles and grid storage viable at all the scales needed for the future,” said Energy Institute Director Mark Barteau.

The Battery Lab will also serve as a base for U-M’s continuing research and development efforts as a partner in the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, a U.S. Department of Energy-led consortium for developing next-generation batteries. Additionally, it will provide new capabilities to support the vehicle electrification thrust of the Clean Vehicles Consortium, supported by the U.S. and Chinese governments.