Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro A future without fires for electric cars? The start-up 24M, born from MIT, has developed an innovative solution called Impervio to definitively solve the safety problems of lithium batteries
Facebook – @24M Technologies
If you’re wondering what still makes electric vehicles (EVs) seem “unsafe” to many, the answer is simple: lithium batteries. Despite the rapid increase in sales—just in France, 18% of all new cars purchased in 2022 were electric—the risk of battery fires remains a major concern.
The problem is caused by dendrites, which are small metallic structures that form on the anode of the battery. These eventually can penetrate the separator inside the battery and create short circuits, even leading to explosions in some cases.
Impervio: smart separator against battery fires
That’s where Impervio comes in. Developed by 24M, Impervio is an intelligent battery separator that plays the very important job of preventing dendrites from forming. It continuously monitors each battery cell, and if it detects any anomalies, it can shut down the energy flow before a thermal runaway, or uncontrolled overheating, can occur.
A battery equipped with Impervio doesn’t just detect problems-it prevents them before they start, eliminating the risk of fires and explosions.
But even more impressively, Impervio is said to be compatible with both existing lithium-metal and lithium-ion batteries; manufacturers will not have to make radical changes to production lines. It’s simple, yet such a solution may redefine battery safety.
The dendrite challenge: how impervio performs under stress
To prove it will work, 24M put Impervio through a series of internal stress tests pitted against standard battery separators. The batteries went through hell-exposure to extreme conditions like intentional contamination with stainless steel, and sustained overcharging for an hour.
The results? Off-the-shelf batteries overheated, burst into flames, and blew up within minutes. Meanwhile, the cells treated with Impervio showed surprising stability under conditions of extreme duress. No explosions, no flames, no short circuits.
But the most dramatic test of all was the insertion of steel and copper into the battery cells-the simulation of actual dendrite growth. Impervio killed the short circuit instantaneously, eliminating the risk before it could ever begin to take hold. For lithium battery safety, it is a game-changer.
When will impervio hit the market?
Mass production is foreseen by the end of 2025, while the estimated time of market availability would be between 2025 and 2026. Currently, 24M is working together with manufacturers and licensing partners on integrating this technology into EVs and energy storage systems worldwide.
This is not the first breakthrough by 24M. Impervio follows on the heels of another game-changing technology in batteries: ETOP. But experts believe that Impervio could mark a turning point for EV safety, improving not just the reduction of risk but also energy density and overall battery performance.
Source: Impervio
