Why Is Barium Titanate Being Adopted By The EV Industry?

With the shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) gathering pace in Europe, there is a growing need for the batteries that power these cars and vans on our roads. This is boosting job growth in the industry in Europe according to one study.

New Automotive has launched a European Battery Supply Chain Tracker, which predicts that demand for EV batteries will grow so much that the organisations that produce these pieces of technology will employ over 300,000 people by 2030.

This will lead to jobs creation across the battery supply chain, with new roles set to spring up in gigafactories, refining projects, battery recycling plants and mining operations. Suppliers of crucial chemicals for EV batteries, like barium titanate, are also likely to experience growth as a knock-on effect of the rise in demand for EVs.

Why is barium titanate particularly useful in the EV sector? Because of its high dielectric constant, which makes it a good choice of material for electrical capacitors. It is also used for sensors, opto-electronic devices and thermistors.

The fact that barium titanate is also lead-free means it is increasingly being seen as an appropriate option in many areas during the transition to a green economy.

However, while the outlook for Europe’s EV battery market looks promising, there are still potential hurdles to its growth. Among them is the risk of slowing the transition to EVs from petrol and diesel cars. A change in policy within Europe in this respect could significantly impact the EV industry as a whole, including those involved in battery production.

The UK is currently intending to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, while in the EU the date set for this transition is 2035. So, while petrol and diesel cars won’t vanish from our roads in a few years, consumers will no longer be able to buy new models that are powered by fossil fuels.