Oh the irony, it burns. Public officials in Texas have been on a rant against clean energy investing, yet the state is home to a growing number of startups aimed at pushing the oil industry into a sidebar of the global economy. The latest example is the Austin startup Group1, which is launching a new potassium-based energy storage formula aimed at supporting the high performing, lower-costing, and more environmentally friendly EV battery of the future.
“Group1’s product, Kristonite, a 4V cathode material — Potassium Prussian White — enables KIBs that can deliver faster charging with enhanced safety and higher energy density when compared with lithium iron phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries or sodium-ion batteries, making them the future of the energy industry,” the school enthused last year.
“This agreement grants Group1 exclusive rights to Sharp’s patent portfolio related to Potassium based cathode materials, enabling the next generation of sustainable, efficient, and “As part of this launch, Group1 is delivering samples to key Tier 1 Original Equipment Manufacturers and cell manufacturers, marking aThe company also took the opportunity to remind everyone that its new battery “enables the best combination of performance, safety, and cost when compared to LiFePO4 -based LIBs and Sodium-ion batteries .”
As for Group1, CEO Alexander Girau makes no bones about his company’s potential impact on transportation decarbonization. Last September, the US Department of Defense allocated $30 million towards the establishment of a new energy storage campus at UT-Dallas., while reducing dependence on scarce critical materials,” the DOD explains, noting that the competitive award was based on the school’s ability to form a consortium including startups and established companies along with other academic institutions and four national laboratories under the umbrella of the Energy Department.