The world of vehicles is electrifying fast. Batteries are critical for electric vehicles. On May 14th, we had an electrifying session with Manu Iyer. Manu is the founder of Blue Hill Capital, investing in dozens of startups. He is the board member of PiBeam Electric, a pioneer in vertically integrated EVs. He is bullish about innovations in EVs, motors, and batteries, especially in Tamilnadu.
Manu gave a good overview of the anatomy of electric vehicles. He spoke about the major components: motors, batteries, and control systems. We learned about the types of batteries and the chemistry involved. There is a lot of exciting innovation underway in the packaging, controls, distribution, and manufacture of batteries. Electric vehicle batteries have different chemistry and technology characteristics compared to storage batteries. Nevertheless, the field is fast evolving and has driven more engagement towards core technology.
There were 13 people in attendance, including Manu’s sister, a CEG alumnus herself. Thanks to Meera Siva (EEE 1992), who recommended Manu for this talk. We appreciate Manu’s time sharing his insights with the group.
