Car maker Volkswagen is working with Koenig & Bauer to develop a new battery technology set for production next year.

K&B and VW subsidiary PowerCo have announced successful ‘proof of concept’ for an innovative “dry coating” system for battery cells, which uses solvent-free powder coating of anodes and cathodes.

Development for industrial series production will continue on the manufacturing system prototype and the companies have agreed to move the project to a pilot line at PowerCo for further scaling and developments for series production.

Koenig & Bauer chief executive Andreas Pleßke says the successful ‘proof of concept’ is a significant milestone underlying their innovative strength and commitment to sustainable technologies.

“We are proud to contribute to future-oriented battery cell production and look forward to further collaboration with PowerCo to bring this pioneering technology to series production readiness”.

Development includes the industrialisation and scaling of basic technologies, and the development of entirely new machines. Dry-coating eliminates the complex and energy-intensive drying of wet-coated electrodes.

Further scaling and developments will be carried out at PowerCo before proceding to industrial series production.