nanoFlowcell Holdings plc is a Swiss flow cell battery research and development company. nanoFlowcell claims to have developed the first flow battery small enough to be used in electric cars. Its battery, also branded nanoFlowcell, was first presented in the Quant E, Quant F and Quantino prototype vehicles. Similar to regular redox flow batteries, the nanoFlowcell battery uses

electrolyte An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon dis ...

fluids to generate electricity from chemical compounds. nanoFlowcell uses, unlike the electrolytes in vanadium flow batteries or polysulfide bromide flow batteries, proprietary molecules as charge carriers; the electrolyte used in the nanoFlowcell is non-toxic and environmentally compatible. The electrolyte used in the nanoFlowcell battery has an

energy density In physics, energy density is the amount of energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit volume. It is sometimes confused with energy per unit mass which is properly called specific energy or . Often only the ''useful'' or extract ...

of 600 Wh per litre, which is ten times the energy density of regular redox flow cells. nanoFlowcell states that mass production cost for its "non-flammable and non-explosive" electrolyte is below 10 cents per litre. The feasibility of nanoFlowcell's flow cell technologies has been questioned. nanoFlowcell has registered offices in Kilchberg, Switzerland and London, United Kingdom. The company became a

public limited company A public limited company (legally abbreviated to PLC or plc) is a type of public company under United Kingdom company law, some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. It is a limited liability company ...

in 2021.

QUANT Prototypes

Quantino 48Volt Top Marques 2019 IMG 1028

Under the name QUANT (derived from

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...

), nanoFlowcell Holdings is developing applications for its nanoFlowcell flow cell technology, mainly electric vehicles such as the QUANT E, QUANT FE and Quantino. The Quantino is the latest electric prototype vehicle produced by nanoFlowcell engineers for their battery testing purposes. The road-legal version of the Quantino was first introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2016, together with its more powerful sibling QUANT FE. The Quantino and QUANT FE prototype vehicles have been used for technology presentations towards the automobile industry in 2016 to further demonstrate the use and advantages of flow cell technology in electric cars. Several journalists who drove Quantino and QUANT FE in public testings confirmed functionality of the nanoFlowcell's flow cell technology. The Quantino allegedly has been using 12 kWh per 100 km in a mixed test.

bi-ION Electrolyte

Similar to regular modern redox flow cells, nanoFlowcell produces electricity from liquids. nanoFlowcell insists that the electrolyte solution is not common salt water as commonly stated in several internet forums and automotive press, claiming that the electrolyte solution they named bi-ION consist of a conductive liquid - organic and inorganic salts dissolved in water - and the electrolytes themselves, nano-structured molecules which are specific molecules designed by the company. While dissolved redox salts are responsible for the energy transfer in conventional redox flow batteries, the bi-ION electrolyte is stated to be an energy storage medium whose suspended nano-particles would have allowed a considerably higher energy density than regular redox electrolyte liquids.

Controversy

European R&D institutes cast doubts over nanoFlowcell's technological progress with flow cells, while in the United States several R&D institutes announced their breakthrough with similar flow cell designs for electric vehicles. In a report, Top Gear stated that while American universities find nanoFlowcell’s technology plausible, there are European institutions that are not convinced. The Quant 48Volt delivers 560 kW at 48 V, with 140 kW going to each motor. This means the current going to each motor is equal to 2917 Amps which would heat up the cables dramatically. Porsche, by comparison, saved 66 pounds on the Taycan by going from 400 V to 800 V and is able to keep the motors cooler by going to higher voltages with greatly reduced currents. According to a Jalopnik article, Dr. Stephen Granade points out that, at the time of writing, the energy density of the flow batteries would be 5 times that of Tesla's batteries with technology where the energy density is typically far lower. In another controversy, the founder has previously been accused with defrauding an older lady by having her invest in non-existing solar panel technology, although he was acquitted.

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{{Automotive industry in Switzerland Electric vehicle industry Technology companies of Liechtenstein Automotive companies of Switzerland Car manufacturers of Switzerland

QUANT Prototypes

bi-ION Electrolyte

Controversy

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