November 9, 2023 • 29 mins
Get ready to dive into the exciting world of energy storage solutions! In this exclusive podcast interview, we sit down with Aldo Grech, Founder of VoltWALL, a renowned battery industry expert and creator of the revolutionary X-blade modular battery system.
Discover why lithium iron batteries are currently the go-to solution for renewable energy installers and how Aldo debunks the hydrogen hoax.
Learn about the future of the battery industry and why it's one of the hottest markets today.
Join us for an informative and engaging discussion on the future of energy storage!
Don't miss out on this must-watch interview!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:04):
.666666667Then make sure you listen to this entire episode because we are talking with battery industry expert, Aldo Grech he is also the inventor of a revolutionary technology in X-blade a modular battery system that can scale up to meet any need, so the future of batteries. 3 00:00:22,958.333333333 --> 00:00:28,198.333333333 For large scale applications in transportation and other industries may just be modular. 4 00:01:04,152.823129252 --> 00:01:08,306.156462585 so Aldo, tell us about VoltWall and what you guys do. 5 00:01:08,316.156462585 --> 00:01:09,66.156462585 yes. 6 00:01:09,142.641723356 --> 00:01:13,895.566893424 VoltWall is a company that started off as a hobby in my garage. 7 00:01:13,950.566893424 --> 00:01:16,110.566893424 I just found out recently that was nine years. 8 00:01:16,633.900226757 --> 00:01:24,931.349206349 That I wanted to build my EV And so in those days, nobody really knew who Tesla was or, that you could have a car that drives an electric. 9 00:01:24,936.349206349 --> 00:01:28,296.349206349 And so I was certainly ridiculed by many of my friends. 10 00:01:28,326.349206349 --> 00:01:31,1.349206349 They thought I was taking a car and making it a golf cart. 11 00:01:31,11.349206349 --> 00:01:33,261.349206349 And 18 months later, and in those. 12 00:01:34,406.768707483 --> 00:01:36,736.768707483 you know, there were no kits, there was nothing available. 13 00:01:36,886.768707483 --> 00:01:41,841.31416203 So I bought an electric motor from the US and a controller from somewhere else. 14 00:01:41,841.31416203 --> 00:01:44,156.31416203 And, I had to manufacture a lot of parts. 15 00:01:44,167.60667904 --> 00:01:46,297.60667904 I got the batteries from somewhere else. 16 00:01:46,302.60667904 --> 00:01:48,892.60667904 And anyway, with lots of help from lots of friends. 17 00:01:48,897.60667904 --> 00:01:51,145.94001237 I built my dream car. 18 00:01:51,175.94001237 --> 00:02:00,535.62255205 When I was a child, I had those racetrack cars that I used to race around, and I always thought when I looked under, I thought, wow, these are very simple and they go so fast. 19 00:02:00,535.62255205 --> 00:02:05,10.94001237 Why is a car so complicated? And so eventually I decided to build my own slot car. 20 00:02:05,20.94001237 --> 00:02:06,40.94001237 So that's how it started. 21 00:02:06,45.94001237 --> 00:02:12,179.2733457 It so happened that when I finished building my car, was the beginning of lithium iron storage. 22 00:02:12,617.60667904 --> 00:02:17,57.60667904 There was a power launched by Tesla in those days. 23 00:02:17,112.60667904 --> 00:02:19,182.60667904 And I thought to myself, having a background. 24 00:02:19,192.60667904 --> 00:02:26,832.60667904 In business and being very involved in the early start of the PC industry, I thought this is going to be the same thing. 25 00:02:26,832.60667904 --> 00:02:28,752.60667904 It's gonna accelerate, it's gonna grow. 26 00:02:28,752.60667904 --> 00:02:31,672.60667904 I could see immediately that this was where the future was heading. 27 00:02:31,682.60667904 --> 00:02:36,482.60667904 And I also realized that I had everything I needed under the bonnet of my car, of my electric car. 28 00:02:36,602.60667904 --> 00:02:44,651.91506906 And so I took that, put it in a box, and started talking to friends and did a lot of tours talking to a lot of photovoltaic installers. 29 00:02:44,656.91506906 --> 00:02:46,276.91506906 And they liked what I was doing. 30 00:02:46,599.01257473 --> 00:02:53,735.50917337 There was nothing really different from what others were doing, but I started getting feedback like, we don't like that when we have to install these things. 31 00:02:53,735.50917337 --> 00:02:54,725.50917337 They weigh a ton. 32 00:02:54,792.5840033 --> 00:02:55,962.5840033 They're very difficult. 33 00:02:55,988.38899196 --> 00:02:57,928.38899196 I could do the installation on my own. 34 00:02:57,945.33910534 --> 00:03:00,435.33910534 Because it's so heavy, it has to be four of us. 35 00:03:00,440.33910534 --> 00:03:01,665.33910534 It's a waste of time. 36 00:03:01,665.33910534 --> 00:03:08,855.03298289 And people tell us that they're worried about fire and people tell us that they want to maybe start smaller and then grow later. 37 00:03:08,872.13048856 --> 00:03:12,430.37311894 What was available on the market was, we had to get 13.5 38 00:03:12,430.37311894 --> 00:03:14,508.02618017 kilowatt hours or that's it. 39 00:03:14,658.02618017 --> 00:03:16,18.0148423 We couldn't get anything smaller. 40 00:03:16,23.0148423 --> 00:03:20,907.76540919 And so I decided talking to them, we came up with the concept of a modular. 41 00:03:20,917.76540919 --> 00:03:25,212.76540919 A modular system that also is very safe, and long life. 42 00:03:25,392.76540919 --> 00:03:28,632.76540919 And we did a number of things to make it safe and long life. 43 00:03:28,637.76540919 --> 00:03:38,483.87652031 We immediately, we're talking about five years ago, decided to go with lithium ion phosphate, which is much lower fire risk than standard lithium ion cells. 44 00:03:38,493.87652031 --> 00:03:40,593.87652031 And also it's three times the life cycle. 45 00:03:40,593.87652031 --> 00:03:42,273.87652031 So lithium ion phosphate. 46 00:03:42,293.87652031 --> 00:03:44,693.87652031 Lasts three times more in its natural state. 47 00:03:44,703.87652031 --> 00:03:49,233.87652031 We then added our technology on top of that, which is liquid terminal management. 48 00:03:49,233.87652031 --> 00:04:01,591.99443414 So the cells in every module is actually flooded in this inert liquid, which we use one to lower the fire risk because there's no oxygen, there's no air surrounding the cells. 49 00:04:01,601.99443414 --> 00:04:13,324.50010307 And also we use a circulation process with natural and then active forced circulation to make sure that the temperature inside this module remains always at optimal level. 50 00:04:13,334.50010307 --> 00:04:16,813.52504638 And so that's how we came up with the X blade, which is here, by the way. 51 00:04:16,890.59987631 --> 00:04:18,180.59987631 This is the X blade here. 52 00:04:18,190.59987631 --> 00:04:18,640.59987631 Sweet. 53 00:04:18,880.59987631 --> 00:04:20,840.59987631 As you can see, I can lift it, I can hold it. 54 00:04:21,71.74500103 --> 00:04:22,145.64522779 it's 1.2 55 00:04:22,325.64522779 --> 00:04:26,491.64522779 kilowatt hours and it is is designed so that you can have as many of them connected as you want. 56 00:04:26,516.64522779 --> 00:04:34,641.64522779 And so you can start with a small one of these or you can stack them up on top of each other, and then anybody can carry them and install them. 57 00:04:34,722.28014842 --> 00:04:43,887.28014842 Once they are stacked, obviously they weigh more or less like any other energy storage system, but it's easier to install, it's easier to scrap, it's easier to grow. 58 00:04:44,127.28014842 --> 00:04:45,267.28014842 You've got redundancy. 59 00:04:45,267.28014842 --> 00:04:54,147.28014842 So if one breaks down, the system keeps going, you just replace that unit, That's in a nutshell, the background of how we're here talking today. 60 00:04:54,202.28014842 --> 00:04:54,652.28014842 That's great. 61 00:04:54,652.28014842 --> 00:05:00,345.87425273 And your individual x-blades, they can talk to each other too, right? Yes. 62 00:05:00,345.87425273 --> 00:05:02,226.65656566 So we've got a central computer. 63 00:05:02,226.65656566 --> 00:05:12,371.69057926 It's actually a raspberry pi, that communicates with all the X blades in a setup, whether it is a setup of, five kilowatts hours or, 500 kilowatts hours. 64 00:05:12,415.46608947 --> 00:05:17,300.98763142 We've got a centralized raspberry pi that then talks directly with the inverter. 65 00:05:17,300.98763142 --> 00:05:19,324.4456813 As every setup you have to have an inverter. 66 00:05:19,329.4456813 --> 00:05:26,326.72459287 And what it does, it's collecting information from each and everyone, and it's then mimicking a battery. 67 00:05:26,416.72459287 --> 00:05:29,366.72459287 And because the inverter needs to know there is a battery connected. 68 00:05:29,371.72459287 --> 00:05:32,926.72459287 So we use the raspberry pi to mimic a battery, to the inverter. 69 00:05:33,316.72459287 --> 00:05:36,908.44794888 And at the same time, To a cell level, not to an X blade level. 70 00:05:37,178.44794888 --> 00:05:40,448.44794888 There are eight cells inside every x-blade to a cell level. 71 00:05:40,748.44794888 --> 00:05:43,238.44794888 We know exactly what's happening from remotely. 72 00:05:43,628.44794888 --> 00:05:47,688.47062461 And so if there's an issue, we probably know about it before anybody is aware that there is a problem. 73 00:05:47,688.47062461 --> 00:05:49,205.68150897 And it's managed remotely. 74 00:05:49,255.68150897 --> 00:05:54,903.1871779 And so let's say, as the raspberry pi is monitoring each of the cells. 75 00:05:55,98.1871779 --> 00:06:05,457.99443414 Have you found some instance of what happens when, a trigger event say, or oh, like when this happens the battery's gonna die out, or the battery's gonna be defective in so long. 76 00:06:05,457.99443414 --> 00:06:09,434.81983096 Or is it oh, if this cell's not working, let's go check that cell out. 77 00:06:09,451.91733663 --> 00:06:12,879.35497835 Obviously we've got a algorithm that manages everything. 78 00:06:12,879.35497835 --> 00:06:28,657.25747269 So within parameters, for example, if somebody goes and pulls one of these out or one of them stops working, or we close it because there's a problem with it, then the raspberry pi and the algorithm automatically reconfigure themselves to tell the inverter. 79 00:06:28,677.25747269 --> 00:06:31,377.25747269 That there is less power now available. 80 00:06:31,422.25747269 --> 00:06:33,828.34590806 And so it's doing that autonomously. 81 00:06:33,843.34590806 --> 00:06:45,410.01257473 But yes we do come across situations where we haven't pre-identified the problem, and so we need to download a new version of software that also looks after that new issue that we have discovered. 82 00:06:45,415.01257473 --> 00:06:47,695.01257473 So we're monitoring them in most cases. 83 00:06:47,705.01257473 --> 00:06:57,606.57720058 It's rare that, you have to have a cell issue to have a critical event happen because these are stationary units, they are being used normally. 84 00:06:57,629.28695114 --> 00:07:04,647.17810761 For energy storage inside a building or in a house, or, in a pet farm or something like that. 85 00:07:04,647.17810761 --> 00:07:12,987.17810761 So usually there's no environmental impact on them, so something has to actually happen within the cell for something to go wrong. 86 00:07:12,987.17810761 --> 00:07:18,702.17810761 And one of the questions you had for me was, why lithium? And that is a whole subject on its own. 87 00:07:18,712.17810761 --> 00:07:25,617.17810761 For example, why not hydrogen? I am known as a hydrogen basher, so you won't get any kind words about hydrogen from me. 88 00:07:25,622.17810761 --> 00:07:43,736.84930942 But what people don't really realize because energy storage and electric cars and what have you, they're all something that have happened in the conscious mind in the last six years, although really, electric cars are a hundred plus years old, but only recently we started getting back into that. 89 00:07:43,760.96495568 --> 00:07:55,771.76994434 And so people think it's new technology, so if this is new technology and we're also experimenting with hydrogen, how do I choose? If there are two new technologies? How do I choose? That is not true. 90 00:07:55,826.76994434 --> 00:08:04,196.76994434 We all have been using lithium cells for 30 years because lithium cells is what we use in our laptops and in our mobile phones. 91 00:08:04,206.76994434 --> 00:08:05,166.76994434 In most cases. 92 00:08:05,526.76994434 --> 00:08:09,396.76994434 And so if you want proven technology, you go to lithium. 93 00:08:09,406.76994434 --> 00:08:14,671.76994434 Everything else that's being offered out there is truly new, is truly, an experiment. 94 00:08:14,821.76994434 --> 00:08:18,794.24159967 And if you take it on, you're a guinea pig, but not with lithium cells. 95 00:08:18,893.41393527 --> 00:08:20,531.7472686 I come from the IT industry. 96 00:08:20,536.7472686 --> 00:08:21,993.1531643 Before I got into this industry. 97 00:08:22,59.70645228 --> 00:08:26,29.21892393 I spent my career of about 40 years in the IT industry. 98 00:08:26,54.0488559 --> 00:08:32,594.04885591 I know how long we've been using laptops and I know the early, batteries and how they improved over time. 99 00:08:32,774.04885591 --> 00:08:39,344.07153164 So today the only real stable technology is lithium cells, for storage and for cars and what have you. 100 00:08:39,692.21212121 --> 00:08:41,517.21212121 hydrogen is a totally different other story. 101 00:08:41,522.21212121 --> 00:08:55,236.713255 I call it the hydrogen rainbow hoax So people write articles about hydrogen is and hydrogen death, and it's renewable and it's good for the environment and it produces water and it blah, blah, blah. 102 00:08:55,236.713255 --> 00:09:02,906.713255 And I say which hydrogen are you talking about? Because no articles you read about how great hydrogen is, tells you what color it is. 103 00:09:03,296.713255 --> 00:09:06,421.39579468 And there are, like seven different colors of hydrogen. 104 00:09:06,474.61574933 --> 00:09:09,564.61574933 Hydrogen is transparent, but they have codified it. 105 00:09:09,611.37311894 --> 00:09:14,871.36178107 As different colors and the different colors indicate the level of dirtiness of hydrogen. 106 00:09:14,881.36178107 --> 00:09:27,641.36178107 And so yes, there is green hydrogen, but how do we know that it's green Today? There is only up to 4% of hydrogen that we produce in the world is green, and some say it's 0.4%, 107 00:09:27,641.36178107 --> 00:09:30,911.36178107 but I've read somewhere that it's up to 4%. 108 00:09:30,921.36178107 --> 00:09:32,331.36178107 So 4% is green. 109 00:09:32,721.36178107 --> 00:09:38,731.36178107 There is no certification that does us, that they used electrolysis from renewable sources. 110 00:09:38,741.36178107 --> 00:09:39,391.36178107 we don't know that. 111 00:09:39,601.36178107 --> 00:09:41,539.43434343 We are trusting that's the case. 112 00:09:41,550.55679241 --> 00:09:47,150.55679241 But then the rest of it, 96% is what I call fossil fuel greenwashing. 113 00:09:47,160.55679241 --> 00:09:54,200.55679241 And so what you do is you use, fossil fuels with 75% efficiency to produce hydrogen. 114 00:09:54,210.55679241 --> 00:09:57,380.55679241 And that's, I'm being very generous when I say 75. 115 00:09:57,538.89012575 --> 00:10:03,726.5318491 To then go and put it in these high pressure cylinders because obviously it has to be liquified. 116 00:10:03,726.5318491 --> 00:10:07,356.5318491 Otherwise you cannot transport And then you've got the cost of transportation. 117 00:10:07,411.5318491 --> 00:10:16,841.5318491 To me, hydrogen is the biggest sin of our decade because all governments are throwing money hands over fist into it. 118 00:10:17,111.5318491 --> 00:10:34,421.5318491 And then in Europe, you've got the European Union that has classified natural gas as a renewable now just because it's called natural, it doesn't mean it's renewable You still have to dig it out and once use it, it's gone, and so now there is this fallacy going on in Europe. 119 00:10:34,431.5318491 --> 00:10:40,641.5318491 That natural gas hydrogen is a renewable, no, it's not by any stretch of the imagination. 120 00:10:40,651.5318491 --> 00:10:43,481.9626881 And we can have another session on hydrogen if you want. 121 00:10:43,498.86745001 --> 00:10:50,615.53411668 I'm totally anti hydrogen, not because hydrogen could not be a solution, not because hydrogen does not have a place. 122 00:10:50,620.53411668 --> 00:10:51,245.53411668 It does. 123 00:10:51,255.53411668 --> 00:10:53,235.53411668 But I do not trust. 124 00:10:53,625.53411668 --> 00:11:04,336.9626881 The people that have been lying to us since the sixties about what we're doing to the environment now, they're going to be responsible to tell us what color their hydrogen is. 125 00:11:04,355.47742733 --> 00:11:06,28.99216656 I'm not, That's a thing to trust. 126 00:11:06,43.03978561 --> 00:11:13,57.67697382 We need to get some verified certificates through, blockchain to be able to say okay, this came from, renewable energy sources. 127 00:11:13,177.67697382 --> 00:11:16,151.89466089 That's how they sourced it, and they can, prove that track line. 128 00:11:16,361.89466089 --> 00:11:19,962.47289219 That'd be a good way to verify and you feel a lot better about that. 129 00:11:19,962.47289219 --> 00:11:20,442.47289219 I'm sure. 130 00:11:20,452.47289219 --> 00:11:20,752.47289219 Yeah. 131 00:11:20,870.56813028 --> 00:11:37,437.60894661 I would, although, the problem becomes then, who's lobbying and who's in power, and how did they get into power? Were they paid by the fossil fuel industries? When it has to do with lots of checks and balances, you get into very obscure, areas. 132 00:11:37,797.60894661 --> 00:11:44,328.56132756 But yes, before the money is invested by governments, which is today because the horse has bolted, we should. 133 00:11:44,911.89466089 --> 00:11:53,296.89466089 checking in an article, whenever I read hydrogen, the first thing I go is look for what is the source of that hydrogen, and I never find it in any article. 134 00:11:53,306.89466089 --> 00:11:55,962.83570398 Yeah, they really need to say what color it is for sure. 135 00:11:56,202.83570398 --> 00:12:01,597.77901463 But what about for like lithium, we have to go, mine, the lithium resource out there. 136 00:12:01,597.77901463 --> 00:12:04,901.36178107 And there's only a limited amount of lithium out there. 137 00:12:05,111.36178107 --> 00:12:07,478.48196248 What do you see as the future for that, for lithium? Yeah. 138 00:12:07,508.1871779 --> 00:12:10,878.1871779 There's a couple of answers to that, maybe three answers to that. 139 00:12:10,883.1871779 --> 00:12:13,863.1871779 First thing is that people talk about nickel and cobalt. 140 00:12:14,184.85384457 --> 00:12:28,198.1871779 And that's mostly produced by slavery and what have you, that is true, except there is a big move away from that type of lithium cells to the lithium ion phosphate cells, which is what we use at VoltWall. 141 00:12:28,291.52051123 --> 00:12:30,161.52051123 And that it's just iron. 142 00:12:30,311.52051123 --> 00:12:32,541.52051123 It's just lithium iron phosphate. 143 00:12:32,899.85384457 --> 00:12:34,859.53638425 So it's readily available. 144 00:12:34,875.95361781 --> 00:12:35,488.26654298 It's iron. 145 00:12:35,758.26654298 --> 00:12:42,365.02391259 Secondly, lithium is very readily available and, lithium is a hundred percent recyclable. 146 00:12:42,370.02391259 --> 00:12:46,503.25520511 And so these lithium cells in fact, the guy from. 147 00:12:46,612.62028448 --> 00:12:48,202.62028448 Tesla, I can't remember his name. 148 00:12:48,207.93774479 --> 00:12:50,487.93774479 That was like the number two to Elon Musk. 149 00:12:50,497.93774479 --> 00:12:52,27.93774479 About two years ago. 150 00:12:52,207.93774479 --> 00:12:58,467.93774479 He resigned from Tesla and went and is in Nevada setting up a lithium cell recycling factory. 151 00:12:58,472.93774479 --> 00:12:59,462.93774479 Because that's the future. 152 00:12:59,467.93774479 --> 00:13:01,162.47289219 It's almost hundred percent recyclable. 153 00:13:01,167.47289219 --> 00:13:03,224.43434343 And I was watching a video. 154 00:13:03,599.43434343 --> 00:13:07,991.24840239 By somebody that specializes in metals and mineral usage. 155 00:13:08,51.24840239 --> 00:13:16,166.24840239 And he reckons that by 2040 we would have an extracted an lithium, so that we can recycle and never need to extract again. 156 00:13:16,171.24840239 --> 00:13:22,92.83570398 So we'll have enough going around, which is not the same with hydrogen fossil- produced hydrogen or fossil fuels. 157 00:13:22,122.49556792 --> 00:13:25,432.49556792 Once you wear burn them, they are gone and they create a lot of damage. 158 00:13:25,437.49556792 --> 00:13:29,75.49103277 And do we need to mine or extract? Yes, we do. 159 00:13:29,80.49103277 --> 00:13:36,495.49103277 But there is a horizon that's very close to us where we should be self-sufficient if we do the right thing, and we will, because it's lucrative. 160 00:13:36,555.49103277 --> 00:13:38,965.49103277 You can make a lot of money recycling these cells. 161 00:13:38,975.49103277 --> 00:13:40,565.49103277 But there's a third aspect to it. 162 00:13:40,565.49103277 --> 00:13:46,63.7563389 So the first one was, let's use lithium iron phosphate instead of lithium cells. 163 00:13:46,68.7563389 --> 00:13:48,568.7563389 The second thing is, Let's recycle. 164 00:13:48,578.7563389 --> 00:13:50,708.7563389 The third thing is sodium. 165 00:13:50,718.7563389 --> 00:13:52,848.7563389 That's something I'm following very closely. 166 00:13:53,103.7563389 --> 00:13:54,513.7563389 Development in the kitchen. 167 00:13:54,523.7563389 --> 00:13:55,903.7563389 The kitchen, because it's salt. 168 00:13:55,923.25747268 --> 00:13:57,733.24613482 I jokingly say in the kitchen, salt. 169 00:13:57,743.24613482 --> 00:14:01,473.24613482 Had a big problem because they've been trying to use salt for a long time now. 170 00:14:01,488.24613482 --> 00:14:02,838.24613482 Has a life cycle problem. 171 00:14:02,838.24613482 --> 00:14:05,108.24613482 So it's you make cells out of lithium. 172 00:14:05,108.24613482 --> 00:14:06,68.24613482 It's a very short life. 173 00:14:06,73.24613482 --> 00:14:09,548.24613482 Since 2022, they've worked a lot on that area of it. 174 00:14:09,553.24613482 --> 00:14:15,112.23706452 And in fact, just four months ago, CATL a major lithium cell producer in China. 175 00:14:15,123.3595135 --> 00:14:19,568.89239332 Has launched the sodium cells and they reckon that within 12 months they'll be used in cars. 176 00:14:19,573.89239332 --> 00:14:27,393.06472892 Now, if we get to the stage where sodium is being utilized well, there's no shortage of sodium it would bring the cost significantly. 177 00:14:27,760.79715522 --> 00:14:30,463.84704184 The cost of a cell would Become a fraction of what it is today. 178 00:14:30,463.84704184 --> 00:14:32,353.84704184 Now, that's revolutionary in my opinion. 179 00:14:32,563.84704184 --> 00:14:33,943.84704184 And that's right here and now. 180 00:14:34,217.81529581 --> 00:14:36,307.81529581 And you don't have to reinvent the wheel. 181 00:14:36,407.81529581 --> 00:14:37,982.81529581 So the industry is the same. 182 00:14:37,982.81529581 --> 00:14:41,412.81529581 You still use the same production techniques that use for lithium sensors. 183 00:14:42,159.48196248 --> 00:14:43,59.48196248 It's nothing different. 184 00:14:43,59.48196248 --> 00:14:44,662.83797155 Instead of lithium, you use sodium. 185 00:14:44,842.83797155 --> 00:14:46,472.81529581 Now that makes sense. 186 00:14:46,512.81529581 --> 00:14:49,32.81529581 You spent 30 years learning how to make something. 187 00:14:49,362.81529581 --> 00:14:53,232.81529581 Now you've got a chemistry that is more readily available, cheaper. 188 00:14:53,284.57266543 --> 00:14:56,63.64296021 They found a way to make it longer life as well. 189 00:14:56,68.64296021 --> 00:15:01,593.64296021 If it works in a car, it'll work in any application because the car is the most tough environment for these cells. 190 00:15:01,603.64296021 --> 00:15:08,124.32323232 And yes I think there is evolution and we have to look at the future and I think the immediate future is sodium. 191 00:15:08,134.32323232 --> 00:15:11,764.32323232 Are there other technologies and techniques in the lab? There are many. 192 00:15:11,774.32323232 --> 00:15:17,519.32323232 and there will be many options to choose from in the future, but I think the closest is sodium in my opinion. 193 00:15:17,529.32323232 --> 00:15:23,961.87425273 And I'd like to, circle back, we got a little sidetracked with lithium and hydrogen and all that, but yeah, I'm sorry. 194 00:15:23,984.07379921 --> 00:15:24,344.07379921 I know. 195 00:15:24,614.07379921 --> 00:15:25,424.07379921 No, you're fine. 196 00:15:25,424.07379921 --> 00:15:25,854.07379921 You're fine. 197 00:15:25,859.07379921 --> 00:15:28,409.07379921 I can see you're passionate about it, so it's good. 198 00:15:28,419.07379921 --> 00:15:43,801.31869717 With the X blade what applications do you see for your modular batteries and let's start off, where are you currently in terms of applications and where do you hope to go? Okay, so the product now is in what I call pre-production stage. 199 00:15:44,154.65203051 --> 00:15:50,322.75860647 And so we've got units installed in pilot sites where they've been working for the last seven months. 200 00:15:50,377.75860647 --> 00:15:55,207.75860647 And we are now going through the process of industrialization and certification. 201 00:15:55,217.75860647 --> 00:15:59,732.83797155 We've learned a lot from the process of producing these, they're currently hand produced. 202 00:15:59,737.83797155 --> 00:16:04,918.84704184 But once we industrialize them, they will be built through proper assembly process. 203 00:16:04,970.58173572 --> 00:16:14,431.77221191 And we will bring down the time of assembly from what it is now to a third of what it is now, so it'll also become profitable for us to make them. 204 00:16:14,436.77221191 --> 00:16:20,886.77221191 The reason I'm saying all this is that we've learned a lot and one of the things that we have found we can do is we can actually make them even lighter. 205 00:16:20,886.77221191 --> 00:16:26,427.79262008 Today they are 20 kilos, so we make them a bit smaller and a bit lighter than what they are today. 206 00:16:26,501.3073593 --> 00:16:33,282.07833436 That will bring us to, the achievement of a dream that I have for the future, and I'll talk about that in a second. 207 00:16:33,282.07833436 --> 00:16:45,290.7858174 So today, the application for the X-blade, and the X-blade in the inception of it, talking to the installers, what we realized is that, if you have a module so small and you build. 208 00:16:45,300.7858174 --> 00:16:55,820.7858174 Like we have with this redundancy in mind and remote management and what have you, then you can use it for residential purposes as well as you can use it for industrial purposes. 209 00:16:55,830.7858174 --> 00:17:02,587.2484024 And for example, one of our pilot sites is actually an energy company that's using the product for peak shaving. 210 00:17:02,692.7019171 --> 00:17:05,902.7019171 Whereas another side is a friend's house. 211 00:17:05,957.7019171 --> 00:17:19,417.7019171 The key difference, for example, is, The house is running on an inverter at 48 volts, whereas the industrial ones are installed with three inverters running at 550 volt each. 212 00:17:19,427.7019171 --> 00:17:27,867.8152958 And so the same unit, the same X-blade, whether it's connected in parallel, in series controlled by our central processor. 213 00:17:28,44.86745 --> 00:17:32,274.86745 We can apply it and it's the same one, so it's not a modified version. 214 00:17:32,604.86745 --> 00:17:36,684.86745 We know one that I've been using for a home for residential use. 215 00:17:36,864.86745 --> 00:17:40,884.86745 I can take it out and plug it in and use it for an industrial use. 216 00:17:40,903.1554319 --> 00:17:43,590.2756133 It, we don't have to change anything inside the unit. 217 00:17:43,680.2756133 --> 00:17:44,631.2756133 In fact, I'll show you. 218 00:17:44,970.2756133 --> 00:17:45,870.2756133 So this slide. 219 00:17:45,887.2030509 --> 00:17:46,787.2030509 Into a housing. 220 00:17:46,787.2030509 --> 00:17:47,399.8107607 Oh I see. 221 00:17:47,399.8107607 --> 00:17:53,329.7880849 The background is getting all, and this is you can't quite see it, but there are two connectors there. 222 00:17:53,329.7880849 --> 00:17:55,183.1214183 There's a gray electrical connector. 223 00:17:55,204.6520305 --> 00:18:04,651.5001031 And then on top of it, there is a circular connector and they are designed specifically to slide in the circular connector is a magnetic connector that actually is the data connector. 224 00:18:04,671.5001031 --> 00:18:08,701.5001031 And so it just clicks and then it sends us data upSTTTREAM. 225 00:18:08,721.5001031 --> 00:18:12,451.5001031 And so as soon as they're plugged in, we know which X-blade it is. 226 00:18:12,474.8334364 --> 00:18:16,855.55906 We know which system it went into and we know exactly how it's performing. 227 00:18:16,867.4864976 --> 00:18:32,845.8425067 And we've given an even more flexible solution to our installers because in any case, whatever energy storage system you buy, you still have to go to the installer to have it installed cause you're connecting to the grid and nobody will allows you to connect anything to the grid. 228 00:18:33,85.8425067 --> 00:18:35,455.8425067 Of course you can use it as an off-grid application as well. 229 00:18:35,570.0148423 --> 00:18:36,800.0148423 In fact we tested it. 230 00:18:36,800.0148423 --> 00:18:48,997.9286745 We haven't got it there, but we tested it in a off-grid environment where there was the solar panels, our battery and the generator and the three of them work together to keep the power happening. 231 00:18:49,2.9286745 --> 00:18:54,694.005772 But the reason I was telling you before about weight reduction and what have you, is that one of the original concept. 232 00:18:54,704.005772 --> 00:19:03,775.6724387 That we came up with as a result of it being modular, which was an afterthought, is that, the future of electric cars is very different to what we're used to. 233 00:19:04,135.6724387 --> 00:19:12,332.0329829 There is a whole segment that's growing very rapidly, which some refer to as N EVs, neighborhood Electric Vehicle. 234 00:19:12,342.0329829 --> 00:19:20,935.3663162 There are many names that they give them, but basically they're like a two-seater or maybe a small four-seater, normally a two-seater that are used to go to do the shopping. 235 00:19:20,935.3663162 --> 00:19:24,408.7223253 And, most countries you don't even need a license to drive them. 236 00:19:24,475.7971552 --> 00:19:26,238.0874047 You just have to be over a certain age. 237 00:19:26,238.0874047 --> 00:19:28,578.0874047 As long as they don't go over a certain speed. 238 00:19:28,588.0874047 --> 00:19:32,763.0874047 The problem with them is, most of these people that use them live in apartments. 239 00:19:32,773.0874047 --> 00:19:34,333.0874047 They probably don't have a garage. 240 00:19:34,633.0874047 --> 00:19:48,812.7359307 And so when they park the car, how do they charge it? Do you throw the electrical cable from the balcony and you connect the car to it? How do you charge it? Whereas if you've got three or four of these inside your little electric vehicle, you can just charge it at home. 241 00:19:48,932.7359307 --> 00:19:51,784.4819625 You can just pull it out and charge it at home and off you go. 242 00:19:51,789.4819625 --> 00:19:58,119.4819625 And so by making it a bit lighter and a bit smaller, it'll be much more convenient for anybody. 243 00:19:58,149.1871779 --> 00:20:02,39.6520305 Anybody can carry, an overhead bag, for an aircraft or something like that. 244 00:20:02,309.6520305 --> 00:20:09,840.4570192 So if we can get it close to that sort of weight, anybody will be able to, we call it rapid charge their vehicle rather than recharge yeah. 245 00:20:09,850.4570192 --> 00:20:10,330.4570192 Yeah, definitely. 246 00:20:10,330.4570192 --> 00:20:23,126.8175634 I saw one video of somebody, a similar idea where they had a little scooter and they took the battery pack out of their scooter, plugged it into the wall, and then took a new one out and plugged it into their scooter and a way they went exactly as simple as that. 247 00:20:23,126.8175634 --> 00:20:23,706.8175634 That's the idea. 248 00:20:23,716.8175634 --> 00:20:24,256.8175634 That's the idea. 249 00:20:24,326.8175634 --> 00:20:31,211.5681303 And in small motorcycles and bicycles, you can do it, but those are too small, those batteries for the application of a car. 250 00:20:31,481.5681303 --> 00:20:34,181.5681303 Whereas with something like this that has 1.2 251 00:20:34,181.5681303 --> 00:20:40,393.9604205 kilowatt hours, it's quite you've got four of these and you don't have to charge your model as long as you have a couple of them charged. 252 00:20:40,398.9604205 --> 00:20:41,387.0896722 It could give you. 253 00:20:41,392.0896722 --> 00:20:46,424.6633684 60, 80 kilometer range, using it to go shopping, it's not a problem. 254 00:20:46,479.6633684 --> 00:20:47,479.436611 Yeah definitely. 255 00:20:47,484.436611 --> 00:20:56,589.0851371 And with the way battery technology, has definitely been increasing exponentially in recent years, how do you guys keep up with all the new. 256 00:20:56,804.0851371 --> 00:21:01,528.1327561 innovations and things that come with the new technology as you're going along. 257 00:21:01,589.0851371 --> 00:21:10,364.5726654 When I'm not playing with batteries, I'm mostly online doing research, reading and learning and watching videos, and so does my team. 258 00:21:10,414.5726654 --> 00:21:13,179.5726654 We're all crazy passionate About what we're doing. 259 00:21:13,179.5726654 --> 00:21:24,637.1803752 You don't do this for money in the long term, I hope we will, but in the short term, you're doing it because you're passionate about the technology, you're passionate about transport, you're passionate about the environment. 260 00:21:24,647.1803752 --> 00:21:26,567.1803752 And for me, it's all come together. 261 00:21:26,597.9059988 --> 00:21:30,482.9059988 All those various aspects of who I am come together in the VoltWall. 262 00:21:30,524.8787879 --> 00:21:34,31.9196042 VoltWall is the vehicle for me to realize more of my dreams. 263 00:21:34,36.9196042 --> 00:21:38,155.0828695 And so we, I'll speak for myself cause everybody does their own thing. 264 00:21:38,160.0828695 --> 00:21:44,715.0828695 I go to clubs where we talk about electric cars and there are a few channels on YouTube that I follow. 265 00:21:45,45.0828695 --> 00:21:50,357.3731189 There are some great people talking about technology, like Monroe and associates who, tear apart. 266 00:21:50,459.0397856 --> 00:21:54,457.3731189 Vehicles and work out what's happening with the latest cells from Tesla. 267 00:21:54,532.3731189 --> 00:22:00,357.0103072 And what the evolution is I follow other more scientific, videos and papers. 268 00:22:00,442.3050917 --> 00:22:04,476.3867244 They talk about the chemistry and where it's going, and that's a very important thing for us. 269 00:22:04,476.3867244 --> 00:22:09,965.6044115 And again, one of the reasons why it makes sense to have this explained is that we can continue. 270 00:22:09,975.6044115 --> 00:22:23,109.6293548 To enhance it internally, still have the same interface, and maybe in the future as the energy becomes more dense, we could have two kilowatts inside this or three, depending on where things go. 271 00:22:23,155.55906 --> 00:22:24,24.3118945 And so the module. 272 00:22:24,582.6452278 --> 00:22:43,413.6542981 Still remains the same, but we'll be able through our software to read which one of the X blades a customer might have with which chemistry, and then we know exactly what it is that we need to enhance or maybe in the future we can have A lease model or a rental model where people can always stay with the latest technology. 273 00:22:43,413.6542981 --> 00:22:46,413.6542981 We just replace their X blades as the new technology comes along. 274 00:22:46,640.0942074 --> 00:22:52,400.0942074 There's a lot of models that we have thought of, business models that we have thought of for this product. 275 00:22:52,430.0942074 --> 00:22:53,410.899196 Most of the time. 276 00:22:53,780.899196 --> 00:23:02,714.5726654 You install these energy storage systems and as I said, they weigh a ton and they're more or less a custom installation and so it's not easy to retrofit. 277 00:23:02,719.5726654 --> 00:23:05,277.3277675 It's not easy to retro upgrade, these things. 278 00:23:05,282.3277675 --> 00:23:09,561.6701711 Whereas, when you have a module, you just pull one in, you put the other one in, and you've upgraded basically. 279 00:23:09,571.6701711 --> 00:23:11,860.5227788 Yeah, it's a, quick upgrade that's great. 280 00:23:12,250.5227788 --> 00:23:22,195.5227788 And where do you see VoltWall going over the next six months or so? Within the next 12 months, hopefully we'll have a assembly plan somewhere in New York State. 281 00:23:22,205.5227788 --> 00:23:28,835.5227788 I say 12 months because we need six months to get certification and everything organized now. 282 00:23:28,845.5227788 --> 00:23:33,255.5227788 And so in the next six months we'll industrialize and certify the product. 283 00:23:33,260.5227788 --> 00:23:44,181.2030509 And then at the same time, we'll be looking at what we're going to do for a site and for funding we've got a funding campaign running at the moment with raise green. 284 00:23:44,237.2121212 --> 00:23:46,516.543187 Where we are hoping to raise 1.2 285 00:23:46,516.543187 --> 00:23:52,457.5522573 million that we'll use specifically for certification, industrialization and assembly. 286 00:23:52,462.5522573 --> 00:23:58,369.037518 The assembly plant won't cost us that much because we are at the end of the cycle. 287 00:23:58,369.037518 --> 00:23:59,574.037518 We get the cells already. 288 00:23:59,584.037518 --> 00:24:06,532.7790146 We've also got discussion, which we've been talking to these guys for the last three years, also in New York a battery manufacturer. 289 00:24:06,532.7790146 --> 00:24:13,186.1350237 And so we'll have the cells coming from somebody in New York who might even co-locate or we find our own site. 290 00:24:13,191.1350237 --> 00:24:16,591.1350237 And so we then basically test assemble. 291 00:24:16,596.1350237 --> 00:24:21,246.1350237 Charge discharge in various environments cold environments, warm environments. 292 00:24:21,256.1350237 --> 00:24:25,205.2279942 Check that the product is certified and out it goes into the field. 293 00:24:25,205.2279942 --> 00:24:30,502.8470418 And our focus now is rolling out basically these are the last three steps before rollout. 294 00:24:30,862.8470418 --> 00:24:33,591.6792414 And the thing is that we live in a point in time. 295 00:24:33,921.6792414 --> 00:24:35,331.6792414 Very lucky point in time. 296 00:24:35,360.2166564 --> 00:24:36,710.2166564 Today, the demand is there. 297 00:24:36,710.2166564 --> 00:24:39,290.2166564 We don't have to go knocking on doors to get the orders. 298 00:24:39,320.2166564 --> 00:24:50,552.7223253 All we have to do is call a few of our friends installers, and they all say to us, how many you've got, give them to me because there's not enough energy storage systems out there. 299 00:24:50,552.7223253 --> 00:24:54,837.8130282 And so we live in a time where we know that the product has a market waiting for it. 300 00:24:55,197.8130282 --> 00:24:59,697.8130282 We just have to speed up the process of getting the product into the market. 301 00:24:59,707.8130282 --> 00:25:01,191.8493094 Post prototype. 302 00:25:01,241.8493094 --> 00:25:13,683.5726654 And where do you see energy storage going as a whole in terms of the market and the industry in the next couple years or so? It's anybody's guess as to how quickly it'll grow, but certainly exponential. 303 00:25:13,683.5726654 --> 00:25:17,485.8175634 Now, the degree of exponentiality, I don't know, Tesla just announced. 304 00:25:17,500.8175634 --> 00:25:24,202.835704 They're extending the Texas Gigafactory, where they're building the cyber truck And they're also going to be building their power pack there. 305 00:25:24,207.835704 --> 00:25:30,686.974026 And I think there are forecasting, some gigawatt of energy coming out of there every year or something. 306 00:25:30,686.974026 --> 00:25:32,234.4570192 I've got industry forecasts. 307 00:25:32,524.4570192 --> 00:25:42,5.7268604 And the industry forecasts say that the energy storage will be, $15 billion US dollars by 2027. 308 00:25:42,10.7268604 --> 00:25:45,100.7268604 When you hear Tesla, they're going to surpass that on their own. 309 00:25:45,460.7268604 --> 00:25:48,580.7268604 So I think somebody is under or over forecasting. 310 00:25:48,880.7268604 --> 00:25:51,795.7268604 But in any case, whichever way it goes, it's massive. 311 00:25:51,800.7268604 --> 00:25:59,151.0896722 And I keep drawing parallels with the PC industry because I was young and involved in the PC industry, so I know it very well. 312 00:25:59,161.0896722 --> 00:26:01,590.7722119 And I remember that's exactly what was happening. 313 00:26:01,680.7722119 --> 00:26:03,790.7722119 If you could build a pc, you would sell it. 314 00:26:04,9.7971552 --> 00:26:04,969.7971552 it doesn't matter. 315 00:26:05,199.7971552 --> 00:26:12,561.4864976 In those days there was Hewlett Packard, IBM Compact, Packard Bell, Dell but it didn't matter. 316 00:26:12,587.1894455 --> 00:26:14,777.1894455 If you made a thousand, they would buy them. 317 00:26:14,777.1894455 --> 00:26:16,427.1894455 If you made a million, they could buy. 318 00:26:16,427.1894455 --> 00:26:19,222.2121212 It was like, you could not get enough of these things. 319 00:26:19,522.2121212 --> 00:26:21,412.2121212 And we're seeing the same thing happening in this space. 320 00:26:22,188.3912595 --> 00:26:32,944.2415997 For us it'll certainly be a small percentage of that market that we require, like a micro percentage that we require to overachieve our results over the next four years. 321 00:26:32,944.2415997 --> 00:26:45,361.5091734 Because in four years time, we expect to do a major event like an exit or an IPO and by that stage we'll probably be between between 200 and 500 million company. 322 00:26:45,366.5091734 --> 00:26:49,506.5091734 And so we'll need to then raise, cause we want to bring recycling in-house. 323 00:26:49,506.5091734 --> 00:26:51,106.5091734 We want to do all sorts of things. 324 00:26:51,156.5091734 --> 00:26:58,661.5091734 When it happens, it'll depend very much on where the industry is at, because normally the consolidation starts and the energy companies. 325 00:26:58,751.5091734 --> 00:27:07,754.989899 Start looking back, realizing there's something they should have done themselves and we would be prime for, like what happened with the internet from service providers. 326 00:27:07,759.989899 --> 00:27:12,434.989899 Then the telecoms came in, like what happened with just about every industry. 327 00:27:12,434.989899 --> 00:27:15,289.989899 It always starts on the outside and then they bring it in. 328 00:27:15,289.989899 --> 00:27:19,779.989899 We don't know the future, but in four years we'll have a major event of some sort for VoltWall. 329 00:27:20,341.6565657 --> 00:27:25,675.5341167 If anybody wants to reach out to you and get in touch with you, how do they get in touch? Aldo@voltwall.com, 330 00:27:25,740.5341167 --> 00:27:27,265.5341167 or voltwall.com. 331 00:27:27,295.5341167 --> 00:27:32,56.9173366 Or if you just search Aldo Grech, you'll certainly find me we've won awards. 332 00:27:32,316.9173366 --> 00:27:34,558.86745 For a company that's quite small. 333 00:27:34,563.86745 --> 00:27:37,387.1781076 We've got an unfair, amount of coverage.
.666666667Then make sure you listen to this entire episode because we are talking with battery industry expert, Aldo Grech he is also the inventor of a revolutionary technology in X-blade a modular battery system that can scale up to meet any need, so the future of batteries. 3 00:00:22,958.333333333 --> 00:00:28,198.333333333 For large scale applications in transportation and other industries may just be modular. 4 00:01:04,152.823129252 --> 00:01:08,306.156462585 so Aldo, tell us about VoltWall and what you guys do. 5 00:01:08,316.156462585 --> 00:01:09,66.156462585 yes. 6 00:01:09,142.641723356 --> 00:01:13,895.566893424 VoltWall is a company that started off as a hobby in my garage. 7 00:01:13,950.566893424 --> 00:01:16,110.566893424 I just found out recently that was nine years. 8 00:01:16,633.900226757 --> 00:01:24,931.349206349 That I wanted to build my EV And so in those days, nobody really knew who Tesla was or, that you could have a car that drives an electric. 9 00:01:24,936.349206349 --> 00:01:28,296.349206349 And so I was certainly ridiculed by many of my friends. 10 00:01:28,326.349206349 --> 00:01:31,1.349206349 They thought I was taking a car and making it a golf cart. 11 00:01:31,11.349206349 --> 00:01:33,261.349206349 And 18 months later, and in those. 12 00:01:34,406.768707483 --> 00:01:36,736.768707483 you know, there were no kits, there was nothing available. 13 00:01:36,886.768707483 --> 00:01:41,841.31416203 So I bought an electric motor from the US and a controller from somewhere else. 14 00:01:41,841.31416203 --> 00:01:44,156.31416203 And, I had to manufacture a lot of parts. 15 00:01:44,167.60667904 --> 00:01:46,297.60667904 I got the batteries from somewhere else. 16 00:01:46,302.60667904 --> 00:01:48,892.60667904 And anyway, with lots of help from lots of friends. 17 00:01:48,897.60667904 --> 00:01:51,145.94001237 I built my dream car. 18 00:01:51,175.94001237 --> 00:02:00,535.62255205 When I was a child, I had those racetrack cars that I used to race around, and I always thought when I looked under, I thought, wow, these are very simple and they go so fast. 19 00:02:00,535.62255205 --> 00:02:05,10.94001237 Why is a car so complicated? And so eventually I decided to build my own slot car. 20 00:02:05,20.94001237 --> 00:02:06,40.94001237 So that's how it started. 21 00:02:06,45.94001237 --> 00:02:12,179.2733457 It so happened that when I finished building my car, was the beginning of lithium iron storage. 22 00:02:12,617.60667904 --> 00:02:17,57.60667904 There was a power launched by Tesla in those days. 23 00:02:17,112.60667904 --> 00:02:19,182.60667904 And I thought to myself, having a background. 24 00:02:19,192.60667904 --> 00:02:26,832.60667904 In business and being very involved in the early start of the PC industry, I thought this is going to be the same thing. 25 00:02:26,832.60667904 --> 00:02:28,752.60667904 It's gonna accelerate, it's gonna grow. 26 00:02:28,752.60667904 --> 00:02:31,672.60667904 I could see immediately that this was where the future was heading. 27 00:02:31,682.60667904 --> 00:02:36,482.60667904 And I also realized that I had everything I needed under the bonnet of my car, of my electric car. 28 00:02:36,602.60667904 --> 00:02:44,651.91506906 And so I took that, put it in a box, and started talking to friends and did a lot of tours talking to a lot of photovoltaic installers. 29 00:02:44,656.91506906 --> 00:02:46,276.91506906 And they liked what I was doing. 30 00:02:46,599.01257473 --> 00:02:53,735.50917337 There was nothing really different from what others were doing, but I started getting feedback like, we don't like that when we have to install these things. 31 00:02:53,735.50917337 --> 00:02:54,725.50917337 They weigh a ton. 32 00:02:54,792.5840033 --> 00:02:55,962.5840033 They're very difficult. 33 00:02:55,988.38899196 --> 00:02:57,928.38899196 I could do the installation on my own. 34 00:02:57,945.33910534 --> 00:03:00,435.33910534 Because it's so heavy, it has to be four of us. 35 00:03:00,440.33910534 --> 00:03:01,665.33910534 It's a waste of time. 36 00:03:01,665.33910534 --> 00:03:08,855.03298289 And people tell us that they're worried about fire and people tell us that they want to maybe start smaller and then grow later. 37 00:03:08,872.13048856 --> 00:03:12,430.37311894 What was available on the market was, we had to get 13.5 38 00:03:12,430.37311894 --> 00:03:14,508.02618017 kilowatt hours or that's it. 39 00:03:14,658.02618017 --> 00:03:16,18.0148423 We couldn't get anything smaller. 40 00:03:16,23.0148423 --> 00:03:20,907.76540919 And so I decided talking to them, we came up with the concept of a modular. 41 00:03:20,917.76540919 --> 00:03:25,212.76540919 A modular system that also is very safe, and long life. 42 00:03:25,392.76540919 --> 00:03:28,632.76540919 And we did a number of things to make it safe and long life. 43 00:03:28,637.76540919 --> 00:03:38,483.87652031 We immediately, we're talking about five years ago, decided to go with lithium ion phosphate, which is much lower fire risk than standard lithium ion cells. 44 00:03:38,493.87652031 --> 00:03:40,593.87652031 And also it's three times the life cycle. 45 00:03:40,593.87652031 --> 00:03:42,273.87652031 So lithium ion phosphate. 46 00:03:42,293.87652031 --> 00:03:44,693.87652031 Lasts three times more in its natural state. 47 00:03:44,703.87652031 --> 00:03:49,233.87652031 We then added our technology on top of that, which is liquid terminal management. 48 00:03:49,233.87652031 --> 00:04:01,591.99443414 So the cells in every module is actually flooded in this inert liquid, which we use one to lower the fire risk because there's no oxygen, there's no air surrounding the cells. 49 00:04:01,601.99443414 --> 00:04:13,324.50010307 And also we use a circulation process with natural and then active forced circulation to make sure that the temperature inside this module remains always at optimal level. 50 00:04:13,334.50010307 --> 00:04:16,813.52504638 And so that's how we came up with the X blade, which is here, by the way. 51 00:04:16,890.59987631 --> 00:04:18,180.59987631 This is the X blade here. 52 00:04:18,190.59987631 --> 00:04:18,640.59987631 Sweet. 53 00:04:18,880.59987631 --> 00:04:20,840.59987631 As you can see, I can lift it, I can hold it. 54 00:04:21,71.74500103 --> 00:04:22,145.64522779 it's 1.2 55 00:04:22,325.64522779 --> 00:04:26,491.64522779 kilowatt hours and it is is designed so that you can have as many of them connected as you want. 56 00:04:26,516.64522779 --> 00:04:34,641.64522779 And so you can start with a small one of these or you can stack them up on top of each other, and then anybody can carry them and install them. 57 00:04:34,722.28014842 --> 00:04:43,887.28014842 Once they are stacked, obviously they weigh more or less like any other energy storage system, but it's easier to install, it's easier to scrap, it's easier to grow. 58 00:04:44,127.28014842 --> 00:04:45,267.28014842 You've got redundancy. 59 00:04:45,267.28014842 --> 00:04:54,147.28014842 So if one breaks down, the system keeps going, you just replace that unit, That's in a nutshell, the background of how we're here talking today. 60 00:04:54,202.28014842 --> 00:04:54,652.28014842 That's great. 61 00:04:54,652.28014842 --> 00:05:00,345.87425273 And your individual x-blades, they can talk to each other too, right? Yes. 62 00:05:00,345.87425273 --> 00:05:02,226.65656566 So we've got a central computer. 63 00:05:02,226.65656566 --> 00:05:12,371.69057926 It's actually a raspberry pi, that communicates with all the X blades in a setup, whether it is a setup of, five kilowatts hours or, 500 kilowatts hours. 64 00:05:12,415.46608947 --> 00:05:17,300.98763142 We've got a centralized raspberry pi that then talks directly with the inverter. 65 00:05:17,300.98763142 --> 00:05:19,324.4456813 As every setup you have to have an inverter. 66 00:05:19,329.4456813 --> 00:05:26,326.72459287 And what it does, it's collecting information from each and everyone, and it's then mimicking a battery. 67 00:05:26,416.72459287 --> 00:05:29,366.72459287 And because the inverter needs to know there is a battery connected. 68 00:05:29,371.72459287 --> 00:05:32,926.72459287 So we use the raspberry pi to mimic a battery, to the inverter. 69 00:05:33,316.72459287 --> 00:05:36,908.44794888 And at the same time, To a cell level, not to an X blade level. 70 00:05:37,178.44794888 --> 00:05:40,448.44794888 There are eight cells inside every x-blade to a cell level. 71 00:05:40,748.44794888 --> 00:05:43,238.44794888 We know exactly what's happening from remotely. 72 00:05:43,628.44794888 --> 00:05:47,688.47062461 And so if there's an issue, we probably know about it before anybody is aware that there is a problem. 73 00:05:47,688.47062461 --> 00:05:49,205.68150897 And it's managed remotely. 74 00:05:49,255.68150897 --> 00:05:54,903.1871779 And so let's say, as the raspberry pi is monitoring each of the cells. 75 00:05:55,98.1871779 --> 00:06:05,457.99443414 Have you found some instance of what happens when, a trigger event say, or oh, like when this happens the battery's gonna die out, or the battery's gonna be defective in so long. 76 00:06:05,457.99443414 --> 00:06:09,434.81983096 Or is it oh, if this cell's not working, let's go check that cell out. 77 00:06:09,451.91733663 --> 00:06:12,879.35497835 Obviously we've got a algorithm that manages everything. 78 00:06:12,879.35497835 --> 00:06:28,657.25747269 So within parameters, for example, if somebody goes and pulls one of these out or one of them stops working, or we close it because there's a problem with it, then the raspberry pi and the algorithm automatically reconfigure themselves to tell the inverter. 79 00:06:28,677.25747269 --> 00:06:31,377.25747269 That there is less power now available. 80 00:06:31,422.25747269 --> 00:06:33,828.34590806 And so it's doing that autonomously. 81 00:06:33,843.34590806 --> 00:06:45,410.01257473 But yes we do come across situations where we haven't pre-identified the problem, and so we need to download a new version of software that also looks after that new issue that we have discovered. 82 00:06:45,415.01257473 --> 00:06:47,695.01257473 So we're monitoring them in most cases. 83 00:06:47,705.01257473 --> 00:06:57,606.57720058 It's rare that, you have to have a cell issue to have a critical event happen because these are stationary units, they are being used normally. 84 00:06:57,629.28695114 --> 00:07:04,647.17810761 For energy storage inside a building or in a house, or, in a pet farm or something like that. 85 00:07:04,647.17810761 --> 00:07:12,987.17810761 So usually there's no environmental impact on them, so something has to actually happen within the cell for something to go wrong. 86 00:07:12,987.17810761 --> 00:07:18,702.17810761 And one of the questions you had for me was, why lithium? And that is a whole subject on its own. 87 00:07:18,712.17810761 --> 00:07:25,617.17810761 For example, why not hydrogen? I am known as a hydrogen basher, so you won't get any kind words about hydrogen from me. 88 00:07:25,622.17810761 --> 00:07:43,736.84930942 But what people don't really realize because energy storage and electric cars and what have you, they're all something that have happened in the conscious mind in the last six years, although really, electric cars are a hundred plus years old, but only recently we started getting back into that. 89 00:07:43,760.96495568 --> 00:07:55,771.76994434 And so people think it's new technology, so if this is new technology and we're also experimenting with hydrogen, how do I choose? If there are two new technologies? How do I choose? That is not true. 90 00:07:55,826.76994434 --> 00:08:04,196.76994434 We all have been using lithium cells for 30 years because lithium cells is what we use in our laptops and in our mobile phones. 91 00:08:04,206.76994434 --> 00:08:05,166.76994434 In most cases. 92 00:08:05,526.76994434 --> 00:08:09,396.76994434 And so if you want proven technology, you go to lithium. 93 00:08:09,406.76994434 --> 00:08:14,671.76994434 Everything else that's being offered out there is truly new, is truly, an experiment. 94 00:08:14,821.76994434 --> 00:08:18,794.24159967 And if you take it on, you're a guinea pig, but not with lithium cells. 95 00:08:18,893.41393527 --> 00:08:20,531.7472686 I come from the IT industry. 96 00:08:20,536.7472686 --> 00:08:21,993.1531643 Before I got into this industry. 97 00:08:22,59.70645228 --> 00:08:26,29.21892393 I spent my career of about 40 years in the IT industry. 98 00:08:26,54.0488559 --> 00:08:32,594.04885591 I know how long we've been using laptops and I know the early, batteries and how they improved over time. 99 00:08:32,774.04885591 --> 00:08:39,344.07153164 So today the only real stable technology is lithium cells, for storage and for cars and what have you. 100 00:08:39,692.21212121 --> 00:08:41,517.21212121 hydrogen is a totally different other story. 101 00:08:41,522.21212121 --> 00:08:55,236.713255 I call it the hydrogen rainbow hoax So people write articles about hydrogen is and hydrogen death, and it's renewable and it's good for the environment and it produces water and it blah, blah, blah. 102 00:08:55,236.713255 --> 00:09:02,906.713255 And I say which hydrogen are you talking about? Because no articles you read about how great hydrogen is, tells you what color it is. 103 00:09:03,296.713255 --> 00:09:06,421.39579468 And there are, like seven different colors of hydrogen. 104 00:09:06,474.61574933 --> 00:09:09,564.61574933 Hydrogen is transparent, but they have codified it. 105 00:09:09,611.37311894 --> 00:09:14,871.36178107 As different colors and the different colors indicate the level of dirtiness of hydrogen. 106 00:09:14,881.36178107 --> 00:09:27,641.36178107 And so yes, there is green hydrogen, but how do we know that it's green Today? There is only up to 4% of hydrogen that we produce in the world is green, and some say it's 0.4%, 107 00:09:27,641.36178107 --> 00:09:30,911.36178107 but I've read somewhere that it's up to 4%. 108 00:09:30,921.36178107 --> 00:09:32,331.36178107 So 4% is green. 109 00:09:32,721.36178107 --> 00:09:38,731.36178107 There is no certification that does us, that they used electrolysis from renewable sources. 110 00:09:38,741.36178107 --> 00:09:39,391.36178107 we don't know that. 111 00:09:39,601.36178107 --> 00:09:41,539.43434343 We are trusting that's the case. 112 00:09:41,550.55679241 --> 00:09:47,150.55679241 But then the rest of it, 96% is what I call fossil fuel greenwashing. 113 00:09:47,160.55679241 --> 00:09:54,200.55679241 And so what you do is you use, fossil fuels with 75% efficiency to produce hydrogen. 114 00:09:54,210.55679241 --> 00:09:57,380.55679241 And that's, I'm being very generous when I say 75. 115 00:09:57,538.89012575 --> 00:10:03,726.5318491 To then go and put it in these high pressure cylinders because obviously it has to be liquified. 116 00:10:03,726.5318491 --> 00:10:07,356.5318491 Otherwise you cannot transport And then you've got the cost of transportation. 117 00:10:07,411.5318491 --> 00:10:16,841.5318491 To me, hydrogen is the biggest sin of our decade because all governments are throwing money hands over fist into it. 118 00:10:17,111.5318491 --> 00:10:34,421.5318491 And then in Europe, you've got the European Union that has classified natural gas as a renewable now just because it's called natural, it doesn't mean it's renewable You still have to dig it out and once use it, it's gone, and so now there is this fallacy going on in Europe. 119 00:10:34,431.5318491 --> 00:10:40,641.5318491 That natural gas hydrogen is a renewable, no, it's not by any stretch of the imagination. 120 00:10:40,651.5318491 --> 00:10:43,481.9626881 And we can have another session on hydrogen if you want. 121 00:10:43,498.86745001 --> 00:10:50,615.53411668 I'm totally anti hydrogen, not because hydrogen could not be a solution, not because hydrogen does not have a place. 122 00:10:50,620.53411668 --> 00:10:51,245.53411668 It does. 123 00:10:51,255.53411668 --> 00:10:53,235.53411668 But I do not trust. 124 00:10:53,625.53411668 --> 00:11:04,336.9626881 The people that have been lying to us since the sixties about what we're doing to the environment now, they're going to be responsible to tell us what color their hydrogen is. 125 00:11:04,355.47742733 --> 00:11:06,28.99216656 I'm not, That's a thing to trust. 126 00:11:06,43.03978561 --> 00:11:13,57.67697382 We need to get some verified certificates through, blockchain to be able to say okay, this came from, renewable energy sources. 127 00:11:13,177.67697382 --> 00:11:16,151.89466089 That's how they sourced it, and they can, prove that track line. 128 00:11:16,361.89466089 --> 00:11:19,962.47289219 That'd be a good way to verify and you feel a lot better about that. 129 00:11:19,962.47289219 --> 00:11:20,442.47289219 I'm sure. 130 00:11:20,452.47289219 --> 00:11:20,752.47289219 Yeah. 131 00:11:20,870.56813028 --> 00:11:37,437.60894661 I would, although, the problem becomes then, who's lobbying and who's in power, and how did they get into power? Were they paid by the fossil fuel industries? When it has to do with lots of checks and balances, you get into very obscure, areas. 132 00:11:37,797.60894661 --> 00:11:44,328.56132756 But yes, before the money is invested by governments, which is today because the horse has bolted, we should. 133 00:11:44,911.89466089 --> 00:11:53,296.89466089 checking in an article, whenever I read hydrogen, the first thing I go is look for what is the source of that hydrogen, and I never find it in any article. 134 00:11:53,306.89466089 --> 00:11:55,962.83570398 Yeah, they really need to say what color it is for sure. 135 00:11:56,202.83570398 --> 00:12:01,597.77901463 But what about for like lithium, we have to go, mine, the lithium resource out there. 136 00:12:01,597.77901463 --> 00:12:04,901.36178107 And there's only a limited amount of lithium out there. 137 00:12:05,111.36178107 --> 00:12:07,478.48196248 What do you see as the future for that, for lithium? Yeah. 138 00:12:07,508.1871779 --> 00:12:10,878.1871779 There's a couple of answers to that, maybe three answers to that. 139 00:12:10,883.1871779 --> 00:12:13,863.1871779 First thing is that people talk about nickel and cobalt. 140 00:12:14,184.85384457 --> 00:12:28,198.1871779 And that's mostly produced by slavery and what have you, that is true, except there is a big move away from that type of lithium cells to the lithium ion phosphate cells, which is what we use at VoltWall. 141 00:12:28,291.52051123 --> 00:12:30,161.52051123 And that it's just iron. 142 00:12:30,311.52051123 --> 00:12:32,541.52051123 It's just lithium iron phosphate. 143 00:12:32,899.85384457 --> 00:12:34,859.53638425 So it's readily available. 144 00:12:34,875.95361781 --> 00:12:35,488.26654298 It's iron. 145 00:12:35,758.26654298 --> 00:12:42,365.02391259 Secondly, lithium is very readily available and, lithium is a hundred percent recyclable. 146 00:12:42,370.02391259 --> 00:12:46,503.25520511 And so these lithium cells in fact, the guy from. 147 00:12:46,612.62028448 --> 00:12:48,202.62028448 Tesla, I can't remember his name. 148 00:12:48,207.93774479 --> 00:12:50,487.93774479 That was like the number two to Elon Musk. 149 00:12:50,497.93774479 --> 00:12:52,27.93774479 About two years ago. 150 00:12:52,207.93774479 --> 00:12:58,467.93774479 He resigned from Tesla and went and is in Nevada setting up a lithium cell recycling factory. 151 00:12:58,472.93774479 --> 00:12:59,462.93774479 Because that's the future. 152 00:12:59,467.93774479 --> 00:13:01,162.47289219 It's almost hundred percent recyclable. 153 00:13:01,167.47289219 --> 00:13:03,224.43434343 And I was watching a video. 154 00:13:03,599.43434343 --> 00:13:07,991.24840239 By somebody that specializes in metals and mineral usage. 155 00:13:08,51.24840239 --> 00:13:16,166.24840239 And he reckons that by 2040 we would have an extracted an lithium, so that we can recycle and never need to extract again. 156 00:13:16,171.24840239 --> 00:13:22,92.83570398 So we'll have enough going around, which is not the same with hydrogen fossil- produced hydrogen or fossil fuels. 157 00:13:22,122.49556792 --> 00:13:25,432.49556792 Once you wear burn them, they are gone and they create a lot of damage. 158 00:13:25,437.49556792 --> 00:13:29,75.49103277 And do we need to mine or extract? Yes, we do. 159 00:13:29,80.49103277 --> 00:13:36,495.49103277 But there is a horizon that's very close to us where we should be self-sufficient if we do the right thing, and we will, because it's lucrative. 160 00:13:36,555.49103277 --> 00:13:38,965.49103277 You can make a lot of money recycling these cells. 161 00:13:38,975.49103277 --> 00:13:40,565.49103277 But there's a third aspect to it. 162 00:13:40,565.49103277 --> 00:13:46,63.7563389 So the first one was, let's use lithium iron phosphate instead of lithium cells. 163 00:13:46,68.7563389 --> 00:13:48,568.7563389 The second thing is, Let's recycle. 164 00:13:48,578.7563389 --> 00:13:50,708.7563389 The third thing is sodium. 165 00:13:50,718.7563389 --> 00:13:52,848.7563389 That's something I'm following very closely. 166 00:13:53,103.7563389 --> 00:13:54,513.7563389 Development in the kitchen. 167 00:13:54,523.7563389 --> 00:13:55,903.7563389 The kitchen, because it's salt. 168 00:13:55,923.25747268 --> 00:13:57,733.24613482 I jokingly say in the kitchen, salt. 169 00:13:57,743.24613482 --> 00:14:01,473.24613482 Had a big problem because they've been trying to use salt for a long time now. 170 00:14:01,488.24613482 --> 00:14:02,838.24613482 Has a life cycle problem. 171 00:14:02,838.24613482 --> 00:14:05,108.24613482 So it's you make cells out of lithium. 172 00:14:05,108.24613482 --> 00:14:06,68.24613482 It's a very short life. 173 00:14:06,73.24613482 --> 00:14:09,548.24613482 Since 2022, they've worked a lot on that area of it. 174 00:14:09,553.24613482 --> 00:14:15,112.23706452 And in fact, just four months ago, CATL a major lithium cell producer in China. 175 00:14:15,123.3595135 --> 00:14:19,568.89239332 Has launched the sodium cells and they reckon that within 12 months they'll be used in cars. 176 00:14:19,573.89239332 --> 00:14:27,393.06472892 Now, if we get to the stage where sodium is being utilized well, there's no shortage of sodium it would bring the cost significantly. 177 00:14:27,760.79715522 --> 00:14:30,463.84704184 The cost of a cell would Become a fraction of what it is today. 178 00:14:30,463.84704184 --> 00:14:32,353.84704184 Now, that's revolutionary in my opinion. 179 00:14:32,563.84704184 --> 00:14:33,943.84704184 And that's right here and now. 180 00:14:34,217.81529581 --> 00:14:36,307.81529581 And you don't have to reinvent the wheel. 181 00:14:36,407.81529581 --> 00:14:37,982.81529581 So the industry is the same. 182 00:14:37,982.81529581 --> 00:14:41,412.81529581 You still use the same production techniques that use for lithium sensors. 183 00:14:42,159.48196248 --> 00:14:43,59.48196248 It's nothing different. 184 00:14:43,59.48196248 --> 00:14:44,662.83797155 Instead of lithium, you use sodium. 185 00:14:44,842.83797155 --> 00:14:46,472.81529581 Now that makes sense. 186 00:14:46,512.81529581 --> 00:14:49,32.81529581 You spent 30 years learning how to make something. 187 00:14:49,362.81529581 --> 00:14:53,232.81529581 Now you've got a chemistry that is more readily available, cheaper. 188 00:14:53,284.57266543 --> 00:14:56,63.64296021 They found a way to make it longer life as well. 189 00:14:56,68.64296021 --> 00:15:01,593.64296021 If it works in a car, it'll work in any application because the car is the most tough environment for these cells. 190 00:15:01,603.64296021 --> 00:15:08,124.32323232 And yes I think there is evolution and we have to look at the future and I think the immediate future is sodium. 191 00:15:08,134.32323232 --> 00:15:11,764.32323232 Are there other technologies and techniques in the lab? There are many. 192 00:15:11,774.32323232 --> 00:15:17,519.32323232 and there will be many options to choose from in the future, but I think the closest is sodium in my opinion. 193 00:15:17,529.32323232 --> 00:15:23,961.87425273 And I'd like to, circle back, we got a little sidetracked with lithium and hydrogen and all that, but yeah, I'm sorry. 194 00:15:23,984.07379921 --> 00:15:24,344.07379921 I know. 195 00:15:24,614.07379921 --> 00:15:25,424.07379921 No, you're fine. 196 00:15:25,424.07379921 --> 00:15:25,854.07379921 You're fine. 197 00:15:25,859.07379921 --> 00:15:28,409.07379921 I can see you're passionate about it, so it's good. 198 00:15:28,419.07379921 --> 00:15:43,801.31869717 With the X blade what applications do you see for your modular batteries and let's start off, where are you currently in terms of applications and where do you hope to go? Okay, so the product now is in what I call pre-production stage. 199 00:15:44,154.65203051 --> 00:15:50,322.75860647 And so we've got units installed in pilot sites where they've been working for the last seven months. 200 00:15:50,377.75860647 --> 00:15:55,207.75860647 And we are now going through the process of industrialization and certification. 201 00:15:55,217.75860647 --> 00:15:59,732.83797155 We've learned a lot from the process of producing these, they're currently hand produced. 202 00:15:59,737.83797155 --> 00:16:04,918.84704184 But once we industrialize them, they will be built through proper assembly process. 203 00:16:04,970.58173572 --> 00:16:14,431.77221191 And we will bring down the time of assembly from what it is now to a third of what it is now, so it'll also become profitable for us to make them. 204 00:16:14,436.77221191 --> 00:16:20,886.77221191 The reason I'm saying all this is that we've learned a lot and one of the things that we have found we can do is we can actually make them even lighter. 205 00:16:20,886.77221191 --> 00:16:26,427.79262008 Today they are 20 kilos, so we make them a bit smaller and a bit lighter than what they are today. 206 00:16:26,501.3073593 --> 00:16:33,282.07833436 That will bring us to, the achievement of a dream that I have for the future, and I'll talk about that in a second. 207 00:16:33,282.07833436 --> 00:16:45,290.7858174 So today, the application for the X-blade, and the X-blade in the inception of it, talking to the installers, what we realized is that, if you have a module so small and you build. 208 00:16:45,300.7858174 --> 00:16:55,820.7858174 Like we have with this redundancy in mind and remote management and what have you, then you can use it for residential purposes as well as you can use it for industrial purposes. 209 00:16:55,830.7858174 --> 00:17:02,587.2484024 And for example, one of our pilot sites is actually an energy company that's using the product for peak shaving. 210 00:17:02,692.7019171 --> 00:17:05,902.7019171 Whereas another side is a friend's house. 211 00:17:05,957.7019171 --> 00:17:19,417.7019171 The key difference, for example, is, The house is running on an inverter at 48 volts, whereas the industrial ones are installed with three inverters running at 550 volt each. 212 00:17:19,427.7019171 --> 00:17:27,867.8152958 And so the same unit, the same X-blade, whether it's connected in parallel, in series controlled by our central processor. 213 00:17:28,44.86745 --> 00:17:32,274.86745 We can apply it and it's the same one, so it's not a modified version. 214 00:17:32,604.86745 --> 00:17:36,684.86745 We know one that I've been using for a home for residential use. 215 00:17:36,864.86745 --> 00:17:40,884.86745 I can take it out and plug it in and use it for an industrial use. 216 00:17:40,903.1554319 --> 00:17:43,590.2756133 It, we don't have to change anything inside the unit. 217 00:17:43,680.2756133 --> 00:17:44,631.2756133 In fact, I'll show you. 218 00:17:44,970.2756133 --> 00:17:45,870.2756133 So this slide. 219 00:17:45,887.2030509 --> 00:17:46,787.2030509 Into a housing. 220 00:17:46,787.2030509 --> 00:17:47,399.8107607 Oh I see. 221 00:17:47,399.8107607 --> 00:17:53,329.7880849 The background is getting all, and this is you can't quite see it, but there are two connectors there. 222 00:17:53,329.7880849 --> 00:17:55,183.1214183 There's a gray electrical connector. 223 00:17:55,204.6520305 --> 00:18:04,651.5001031 And then on top of it, there is a circular connector and they are designed specifically to slide in the circular connector is a magnetic connector that actually is the data connector. 224 00:18:04,671.5001031 --> 00:18:08,701.5001031 And so it just clicks and then it sends us data upSTTTREAM. 225 00:18:08,721.5001031 --> 00:18:12,451.5001031 And so as soon as they're plugged in, we know which X-blade it is. 226 00:18:12,474.8334364 --> 00:18:16,855.55906 We know which system it went into and we know exactly how it's performing. 227 00:18:16,867.4864976 --> 00:18:32,845.8425067 And we've given an even more flexible solution to our installers because in any case, whatever energy storage system you buy, you still have to go to the installer to have it installed cause you're connecting to the grid and nobody will allows you to connect anything to the grid. 228 00:18:33,85.8425067 --> 00:18:35,455.8425067 Of course you can use it as an off-grid application as well. 229 00:18:35,570.0148423 --> 00:18:36,800.0148423 In fact we tested it. 230 00:18:36,800.0148423 --> 00:18:48,997.9286745 We haven't got it there, but we tested it in a off-grid environment where there was the solar panels, our battery and the generator and the three of them work together to keep the power happening. 231 00:18:49,2.9286745 --> 00:18:54,694.005772 But the reason I was telling you before about weight reduction and what have you, is that one of the original concept. 232 00:18:54,704.005772 --> 00:19:03,775.6724387 That we came up with as a result of it being modular, which was an afterthought, is that, the future of electric cars is very different to what we're used to. 233 00:19:04,135.6724387 --> 00:19:12,332.0329829 There is a whole segment that's growing very rapidly, which some refer to as N EVs, neighborhood Electric Vehicle. 234 00:19:12,342.0329829 --> 00:19:20,935.3663162 There are many names that they give them, but basically they're like a two-seater or maybe a small four-seater, normally a two-seater that are used to go to do the shopping. 235 00:19:20,935.3663162 --> 00:19:24,408.7223253 And, most countries you don't even need a license to drive them. 236 00:19:24,475.7971552 --> 00:19:26,238.0874047 You just have to be over a certain age. 237 00:19:26,238.0874047 --> 00:19:28,578.0874047 As long as they don't go over a certain speed. 238 00:19:28,588.0874047 --> 00:19:32,763.0874047 The problem with them is, most of these people that use them live in apartments. 239 00:19:32,773.0874047 --> 00:19:34,333.0874047 They probably don't have a garage. 240 00:19:34,633.0874047 --> 00:19:48,812.7359307 And so when they park the car, how do they charge it? Do you throw the electrical cable from the balcony and you connect the car to it? How do you charge it? Whereas if you've got three or four of these inside your little electric vehicle, you can just charge it at home. 241 00:19:48,932.7359307 --> 00:19:51,784.4819625 You can just pull it out and charge it at home and off you go. 242 00:19:51,789.4819625 --> 00:19:58,119.4819625 And so by making it a bit lighter and a bit smaller, it'll be much more convenient for anybody. 243 00:19:58,149.1871779 --> 00:20:02,39.6520305 Anybody can carry, an overhead bag, for an aircraft or something like that. 244 00:20:02,309.6520305 --> 00:20:09,840.4570192 So if we can get it close to that sort of weight, anybody will be able to, we call it rapid charge their vehicle rather than recharge yeah. 245 00:20:09,850.4570192 --> 00:20:10,330.4570192 Yeah, definitely. 246 00:20:10,330.4570192 --> 00:20:23,126.8175634 I saw one video of somebody, a similar idea where they had a little scooter and they took the battery pack out of their scooter, plugged it into the wall, and then took a new one out and plugged it into their scooter and a way they went exactly as simple as that. 247 00:20:23,126.8175634 --> 00:20:23,706.8175634 That's the idea. 248 00:20:23,716.8175634 --> 00:20:24,256.8175634 That's the idea. 249 00:20:24,326.8175634 --> 00:20:31,211.5681303 And in small motorcycles and bicycles, you can do it, but those are too small, those batteries for the application of a car. 250 00:20:31,481.5681303 --> 00:20:34,181.5681303 Whereas with something like this that has 1.2 251 00:20:34,181.5681303 --> 00:20:40,393.9604205 kilowatt hours, it's quite you've got four of these and you don't have to charge your model as long as you have a couple of them charged. 252 00:20:40,398.9604205 --> 00:20:41,387.0896722 It could give you. 253 00:20:41,392.0896722 --> 00:20:46,424.6633684 60, 80 kilometer range, using it to go shopping, it's not a problem. 254 00:20:46,479.6633684 --> 00:20:47,479.436611 Yeah definitely. 255 00:20:47,484.436611 --> 00:20:56,589.0851371 And with the way battery technology, has definitely been increasing exponentially in recent years, how do you guys keep up with all the new. 256 00:20:56,804.0851371 --> 00:21:01,528.1327561 innovations and things that come with the new technology as you're going along. 257 00:21:01,589.0851371 --> 00:21:10,364.5726654 When I'm not playing with batteries, I'm mostly online doing research, reading and learning and watching videos, and so does my team. 258 00:21:10,414.5726654 --> 00:21:13,179.5726654 We're all crazy passionate About what we're doing. 259 00:21:13,179.5726654 --> 00:21:24,637.1803752 You don't do this for money in the long term, I hope we will, but in the short term, you're doing it because you're passionate about the technology, you're passionate about transport, you're passionate about the environment. 260 00:21:24,647.1803752 --> 00:21:26,567.1803752 And for me, it's all come together. 261 00:21:26,597.9059988 --> 00:21:30,482.9059988 All those various aspects of who I am come together in the VoltWall. 262 00:21:30,524.8787879 --> 00:21:34,31.9196042 VoltWall is the vehicle for me to realize more of my dreams. 263 00:21:34,36.9196042 --> 00:21:38,155.0828695 And so we, I'll speak for myself cause everybody does their own thing. 264 00:21:38,160.0828695 --> 00:21:44,715.0828695 I go to clubs where we talk about electric cars and there are a few channels on YouTube that I follow. 265 00:21:45,45.0828695 --> 00:21:50,357.3731189 There are some great people talking about technology, like Monroe and associates who, tear apart. 266 00:21:50,459.0397856 --> 00:21:54,457.3731189 Vehicles and work out what's happening with the latest cells from Tesla. 267 00:21:54,532.3731189 --> 00:22:00,357.0103072 And what the evolution is I follow other more scientific, videos and papers. 268 00:22:00,442.3050917 --> 00:22:04,476.3867244 They talk about the chemistry and where it's going, and that's a very important thing for us. 269 00:22:04,476.3867244 --> 00:22:09,965.6044115 And again, one of the reasons why it makes sense to have this explained is that we can continue. 270 00:22:09,975.6044115 --> 00:22:23,109.6293548 To enhance it internally, still have the same interface, and maybe in the future as the energy becomes more dense, we could have two kilowatts inside this or three, depending on where things go. 271 00:22:23,155.55906 --> 00:22:24,24.3118945 And so the module. 272 00:22:24,582.6452278 --> 00:22:43,413.6542981 Still remains the same, but we'll be able through our software to read which one of the X blades a customer might have with which chemistry, and then we know exactly what it is that we need to enhance or maybe in the future we can have A lease model or a rental model where people can always stay with the latest technology. 273 00:22:43,413.6542981 --> 00:22:46,413.6542981 We just replace their X blades as the new technology comes along. 274 00:22:46,640.0942074 --> 00:22:52,400.0942074 There's a lot of models that we have thought of, business models that we have thought of for this product. 275 00:22:52,430.0942074 --> 00:22:53,410.899196 Most of the time. 276 00:22:53,780.899196 --> 00:23:02,714.5726654 You install these energy storage systems and as I said, they weigh a ton and they're more or less a custom installation and so it's not easy to retrofit. 277 00:23:02,719.5726654 --> 00:23:05,277.3277675 It's not easy to retro upgrade, these things. 278 00:23:05,282.3277675 --> 00:23:09,561.6701711 Whereas, when you have a module, you just pull one in, you put the other one in, and you've upgraded basically. 279 00:23:09,571.6701711 --> 00:23:11,860.5227788 Yeah, it's a, quick upgrade that's great. 280 00:23:12,250.5227788 --> 00:23:22,195.5227788 And where do you see VoltWall going over the next six months or so? Within the next 12 months, hopefully we'll have a assembly plan somewhere in New York State. 281 00:23:22,205.5227788 --> 00:23:28,835.5227788 I say 12 months because we need six months to get certification and everything organized now. 282 00:23:28,845.5227788 --> 00:23:33,255.5227788 And so in the next six months we'll industrialize and certify the product. 283 00:23:33,260.5227788 --> 00:23:44,181.2030509 And then at the same time, we'll be looking at what we're going to do for a site and for funding we've got a funding campaign running at the moment with raise green. 284 00:23:44,237.2121212 --> 00:23:46,516.543187 Where we are hoping to raise 1.2 285 00:23:46,516.543187 --> 00:23:52,457.5522573 million that we'll use specifically for certification, industrialization and assembly. 286 00:23:52,462.5522573 --> 00:23:58,369.037518 The assembly plant won't cost us that much because we are at the end of the cycle. 287 00:23:58,369.037518 --> 00:23:59,574.037518 We get the cells already. 288 00:23:59,584.037518 --> 00:24:06,532.7790146 We've also got discussion, which we've been talking to these guys for the last three years, also in New York a battery manufacturer. 289 00:24:06,532.7790146 --> 00:24:13,186.1350237 And so we'll have the cells coming from somebody in New York who might even co-locate or we find our own site. 290 00:24:13,191.1350237 --> 00:24:16,591.1350237 And so we then basically test assemble. 291 00:24:16,596.1350237 --> 00:24:21,246.1350237 Charge discharge in various environments cold environments, warm environments. 292 00:24:21,256.1350237 --> 00:24:25,205.2279942 Check that the product is certified and out it goes into the field. 293 00:24:25,205.2279942 --> 00:24:30,502.8470418 And our focus now is rolling out basically these are the last three steps before rollout. 294 00:24:30,862.8470418 --> 00:24:33,591.6792414 And the thing is that we live in a point in time. 295 00:24:33,921.6792414 --> 00:24:35,331.6792414 Very lucky point in time. 296 00:24:35,360.2166564 --> 00:24:36,710.2166564 Today, the demand is there. 297 00:24:36,710.2166564 --> 00:24:39,290.2166564 We don't have to go knocking on doors to get the orders. 298 00:24:39,320.2166564 --> 00:24:50,552.7223253 All we have to do is call a few of our friends installers, and they all say to us, how many you've got, give them to me because there's not enough energy storage systems out there. 299 00:24:50,552.7223253 --> 00:24:54,837.8130282 And so we live in a time where we know that the product has a market waiting for it. 300 00:24:55,197.8130282 --> 00:24:59,697.8130282 We just have to speed up the process of getting the product into the market. 301 00:24:59,707.8130282 --> 00:25:01,191.8493094 Post prototype. 302 00:25:01,241.8493094 --> 00:25:13,683.5726654 And where do you see energy storage going as a whole in terms of the market and the industry in the next couple years or so? It's anybody's guess as to how quickly it'll grow, but certainly exponential. 303 00:25:13,683.5726654 --> 00:25:17,485.8175634 Now, the degree of exponentiality, I don't know, Tesla just announced. 304 00:25:17,500.8175634 --> 00:25:24,202.835704 They're extending the Texas Gigafactory, where they're building the cyber truck And they're also going to be building their power pack there. 305 00:25:24,207.835704 --> 00:25:30,686.974026 And I think there are forecasting, some gigawatt of energy coming out of there every year or something. 306 00:25:30,686.974026 --> 00:25:32,234.4570192 I've got industry forecasts. 307 00:25:32,524.4570192 --> 00:25:42,5.7268604 And the industry forecasts say that the energy storage will be, $15 billion US dollars by 2027. 308 00:25:42,10.7268604 --> 00:25:45,100.7268604 When you hear Tesla, they're going to surpass that on their own. 309 00:25:45,460.7268604 --> 00:25:48,580.7268604 So I think somebody is under or over forecasting. 310 00:25:48,880.7268604 --> 00:25:51,795.7268604 But in any case, whichever way it goes, it's massive. 311 00:25:51,800.7268604 --> 00:25:59,151.0896722 And I keep drawing parallels with the PC industry because I was young and involved in the PC industry, so I know it very well. 312 00:25:59,161.0896722 --> 00:26:01,590.7722119 And I remember that's exactly what was happening. 313 00:26:01,680.7722119 --> 00:26:03,790.7722119 If you could build a pc, you would sell it. 314 00:26:04,9.7971552 --> 00:26:04,969.7971552 it doesn't matter. 315 00:26:05,199.7971552 --> 00:26:12,561.4864976 In those days there was Hewlett Packard, IBM Compact, Packard Bell, Dell but it didn't matter. 316 00:26:12,587.1894455 --> 00:26:14,777.1894455 If you made a thousand, they would buy them. 317 00:26:14,777.1894455 --> 00:26:16,427.1894455 If you made a million, they could buy. 318 00:26:16,427.1894455 --> 00:26:19,222.2121212 It was like, you could not get enough of these things. 319 00:26:19,522.2121212 --> 00:26:21,412.2121212 And we're seeing the same thing happening in this space. 320 00:26:22,188.3912595 --> 00:26:32,944.2415997 For us it'll certainly be a small percentage of that market that we require, like a micro percentage that we require to overachieve our results over the next four years. 321 00:26:32,944.2415997 --> 00:26:45,361.5091734 Because in four years time, we expect to do a major event like an exit or an IPO and by that stage we'll probably be between between 200 and 500 million company. 322 00:26:45,366.5091734 --> 00:26:49,506.5091734 And so we'll need to then raise, cause we want to bring recycling in-house. 323 00:26:49,506.5091734 --> 00:26:51,106.5091734 We want to do all sorts of things. 324 00:26:51,156.5091734 --> 00:26:58,661.5091734 When it happens, it'll depend very much on where the industry is at, because normally the consolidation starts and the energy companies. 325 00:26:58,751.5091734 --> 00:27:07,754.989899 Start looking back, realizing there's something they should have done themselves and we would be prime for, like what happened with the internet from service providers. 326 00:27:07,759.989899 --> 00:27:12,434.989899 Then the telecoms came in, like what happened with just about every industry. 327 00:27:12,434.989899 --> 00:27:15,289.989899 It always starts on the outside and then they bring it in. 328 00:27:15,289.989899 --> 00:27:19,779.989899 We don't know the future, but in four years we'll have a major event of some sort for VoltWall. 329 00:27:20,341.6565657 --> 00:27:25,675.5341167 If anybody wants to reach out to you and get in touch with you, how do they get in touch? Aldo@voltwall.com, 330 00:27:25,740.5341167 --> 00:27:27,265.5341167 or voltwall.com. 331 00:27:27,295.5341167 --> 00:27:32,56.9173366 Or if you just search Aldo Grech, you'll certainly find me we've won awards. 332 00:27:32,316.9173366 --> 00:27:34,558.86745 For a company that's quite small. 333 00:27:34,563.86745 --> 00:27:37,387.1781076 We've got an unfair, amount of coverage.
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