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The next wave of electric vehicle (EV) advancement hinges not only on sleek designs or faster motors, but on the very heart of the vehicle: the battery. In a recent in-depth tour of 24M Technologies, Sandy Munro and the Munro team uncovered groundbreaking insights into next-generation battery technology. What they found promises to reshape how batteries are designed, manufactured, and recycled — with major implications for EVs, aerospace, defense, and more.
For engineers, enthusiasts, and investors alike, 24M’s work stands out. It shows how lean design, expert teardown analysis, and strategic engineering can drive major breakthroughs. In turn, these innovations advance both battery performance and safety. This is battery technology built for the demands of tomorrow.
Leaner, Safer, and More Efficient Battery Design
At the heart of 24M’s innovations is a commitment to lean manufacturing principles. Traditional lithium-ion cells rely on complex winding processes and precise alignment of anode, cathode, and separator layers — processes prone to failure modes like dendrites and internal shorts if tolerances drift. 24M simplifies this with a proprietary semi-solid manufacturing method called Live Forever.
Instead of using binders and layering electrode components, 24M mixes electrolyte with active material into a viscous slurry and casts it directly onto foil. This reduces process steps by 50%, slashes capital costs, lowers energy consumption, and allows for thicker electrodes. The result? Higher energy density, improved safety, and a more sustainable production process.
Engineers will appreciate that this method supports up to 660 Wh/kg — surpassing the 400 Wh/kg threshold critical for sectors like aerospace, high-performance EVs, and eVTOLs. Lighter batteries with higher energy density directly translate into longer range, better efficiency, and lower system costs.
The Power of Electrode-to-Pack Engineering
24M’s electrode-to-pack concept represents another leap in lean design. By creating carpet cells — large-area sealed electrode assemblies laminated with polymer and separator layers — the company eliminates the need for hundreds or thousands of individual cylindrical or pouch cells in a pack.
Picture replacing 300 small cylindrical cells in an EV with just six large-format carpet cells. This minimizes packaging overhead, reduces wiring and busbars, and improves both volumetric efficiency and energy density. Fewer parts also mean fewer potential failure points and simpler pack integration.
Manufacturing these carpet cells is already semi-automated and easily scalable. The simplified architecture offers clear cost benefits, with estimated 30% lower costs per kWh versus conventional designs — an industry game-changer for reaching targets below $100/kWh.
Superior Safety with Impervio Separator Technology
One of the standout innovations at 24M is the Impervio separator. In conventional batteries, polyethylene separators passively keep anode and cathode apart — but offer little active protection against dendrites or contaminants that could cause dangerous shorts.
Impervio separators add an embedded conductive layer between insulating layers. This actively suppresses dendrite growth and acts like a “circuit breaker” at the cell level. The separator can detect early signs of internal shorts and communicate with the battery management system (BMS) to isolate and safely discharge compromised cells.
For automotive OEMs and defense customers, this is a major advance. It offers a path to dramatically reduce recalls and catastrophic failures — because each cell can be individually monitored and validated, unlike traditional designs where small defects can trigger mass pack replacements.
Chemistry Agnostic and Cold-Weather Ready
24M’s platform is chemistry agnostic — equally capable of building cells with LFP, NMC, sodium-ion, sulfur cathodes, or even future chemistries. This flexibility is critical for OEMs looking to tailor battery selection to vehicle requirements, cost targets, and regional supply chains.
Another engineering highlight is the Eternal Electrolyte developed by the team. This proprietary solvent dramatically improves low-temperature performance. In testing at -40°C, 24M cells retained full power and energy transfer — outperforming conventional electrolytes, which freeze or lose conductivity at those temperatures.
For EV markets in cold climates and military applications where extreme temperature resilience is vital, this is a huge advantage. As Sandy Munro noted during the tour, “Everything north of the Mason-Dixon line is going to kiss you on all four cheeks if you can get this stuff out.”
Simplified, Sustainable Recycling
Battery recycling is an industry bottleneck — but 24M’s design offers a lean path forward. The sealed electrode architecture, free of binders, enables mechanical separation of anode and cathode streams. There’s no need for harsh pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical processing.
This not only simplifies recycling and reduces environmental impact, but also supports a true closed-loop battery ecosystem — a critical step as EV adoption accelerates.
Designed for Seven Sigma Quality
Automotive engineers understand that to meet modern safety standards, batteries must target seven sigma quality — less than one defect per billion cells. 24M’s approach bakes safety into the design, not just the process:
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Large-format cells mean fewer pieces to control
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Embedded monitoring with Impervio reduces risk
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Mechanical simplicity enhances repeatability in mass production
Combined, these factors support a high-yield, high-quality manufacturing environment — critical for cost reduction and OEM confidence.
Real-World Applications: Automotive, Aerospace, and Defense
Beyond EVs, 24M’s innovations are attracting attention in aerospace and defense circles. The U.S. Navy and programs like the DDG(X) destroyer require batteries that can withstand mechanical abuse (shrapnel, piercing) while maintaining safety. The Impervio-based cells can detect and neutralize such damage, protecting personnel and equipment.
Similarly, high-performance aircraft and eVTOL developers need batteries with high Wh/kg, excellent cold-weather performance, and safe failure modes — all areas where 24M’s platform excels.
The Road to Commercialization
As of mid-2025, 24M has built out a 140,000 sq ft facility near Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is scaling toward 200 MWh/year production capacity. The company is actively partnering with automotive OEMs and defense primes to bring these next-gen cells to market.
According to leadership, production ramp-up could begin by the end of this year — a timeline accelerated by investor and partner interest.
The Takeaway: A Leapfrog Moment for Batteries
24M Technologies represents a rare leapfrog in battery design: one that addresses energy density, safety, manufacturability, and recyclability — all at once.
For EV engineers, this platform offers new tools to extend range, lower pack costs, and simplify assembly. For investors and OEMs, it marks a strategic opportunity to outpace rivals — particularly in the race to outperform Chinese battery dominance. And for enthusiasts, it promises batteries that deliver consistent performance in the harshest real-world conditions.
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