Researchers at UC San Diego are leading critical advancements in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology, infrastructure, and workforce development, as highlighted in UC San Diego Magazine’s Fall 2024 feature, “Charging Ahead.”

Professor Ping Liu and his team at the Jacobs School of Engineering are developing solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries with innovative self-healing capabilities. These batteries promise enhanced safety, energy density, and affordability, using non-toxic, abundant materials. The introduction of a sulfur-iodine compound enables damaged battery components to recover through thermal activation—potentially revolutionizing battery performance and longevity.

Several battery-focused startups have emerged from UC San Diego, translating research into commercial impact. These ventures include South8, Tyfast, Unigrid Batteries, and ExPost Technology, each tackling different aspects of battery design, recycling, and sustainability.

Beyond the lab, Professor Isaac Martin is studying workforce strategies to support battery manufacturing and lithium extraction in California’s Imperial County—advancing equitable access to high-quality jobs in the growing clean energy sector.

Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez is investigating how EV batteries can stabilize the electric grid amid the rising use of renewable energy sources.

Read the full article in UC San Diego Magazine:
UC San Diego Researchers at the Forefront of the EV Battery Revolution