Ionic Performance Lab

Ionic Performance Lab
Name	Ionic Performance Lab
Type	Research and testing facility
Headquarters	San Diego, California
Established	2011
Founders	Dr. Elena Moro, Prof. Yasir Ahmed
Fields	Electrochemical analysis; battery testing; materials science
Staff	~85

Ionic Performance Lab Ionic Performance Lab is a specialized research and testing facility focused on electrochemical energy storage, battery materials, and performance characterization. Founded in 2011, the Lab serves academic, industrial, and governmental clients with standardized testing, advanced diagnostics, and materials evaluation. Its work spans lithium-ion, solid-state, flow, and emerging chemistries, supporting commercialization, regulatory compliance, and scientific publication pipelines.

Overview

The Lab provides services bridging academia and industry, interacting with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, California Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, Tsinghua University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Princeton University, University of Oxford, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nanyang Technological University, University of Sydney, Monash University, University of Toronto, McGill University, Imperial College London, Delft University of Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Technical University of Munich, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Santa Barbara, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Northwestern University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, University of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology, Cornell University.

History

Ionic Performance Lab was established through collaborations between academic founders and industrial partners including Tesla, Inc., Samsung SDI, Panasonic Corporation, LG Chem, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, 3M, Siemens, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Bosch, Hitachi, Nissan Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, A123 Systems, Johnson Controls, Enphase Energy, ABB, Schneider Electric, ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, BP, Shell plc, TotalEnergies, Eaton Corporation, Bloom Energy, Ballard Power Systems, Plug Power, Hydrogenics, Royal Dutch Shell, Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu; and government grantors such as U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission, National Science Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Japan Science and Technology Agency, China National Energy Administration.

Early milestones included independent validation studies cited by Nature, Science, Advanced Energy Materials, Journal of Power Sources, Electrochimica Acta, ACS Energy Letters, Nano Letters, and Physical Review Letters. The Lab expanded facilities after awards from National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Horizon 2020, European Research Council, and contracts with NASA and United States Department of Defense.

Research and Services

Research programs address electrode architecture inspired by work from Stanford University groups and solid electrolyte concepts advanced by teams at MIT, Samsung SDI Research America, and Toyota Research Institute. Services include performance benchmarking used by IEEE Standards Association, lifecycle assessment for International Energy Agency reports, failure analysis for warranty claims by General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and cell validation for startups funded by Y Combinator, Techstars, and Plug and Play Tech Center.

Analytical capabilities support projects with BASF SE, Umicore, Johnson Matthey, Albemarle Corporation, Ganfeng Lithium, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile, Glencore, SQM, Albemarle, Livent Corporation, Vale S.A., Rio Tinto, and supply-chain studies used by World Economic Forum task forces. Publications and white papers have been cited at American Chemical Society meetings, Materials Research Society symposia, Electrochemical Society conferences, and Gordon Research Conferences.

Test Methods and Facilities

The Lab operates climate-controlled chambers comparable to protocols from ASTM International, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and SAE International. Cell cyclers and impedance spectroscopy systems are sourced alongside partnerships with Bio-Logic Science Instruments, Maccor, Inc., Arbin Instruments, Solartron Analytical, Keysight Technologies for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatic intermittent titration technique informed by methods from Harvard University labs, and operando characterization using synchrotron beamlines at Advanced Photon Source, Diamond Light Source, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.

Facilities include gloveboxes comparable to standards at Norwich Research Park, electron microscopy suites with FEI Company instruments used by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers, X-ray diffraction equipment used in studies at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Raman spectroscopy setups, and thermal abuse test rigs like those specified by Underwriters Laboratories. Safety and environmental chambers allow accelerated aging protocols developed with input from United Nations Environment Programme initiatives and compliance checks for California Air Resources Board and European Union regulatory frameworks.

Applications and Industry Impact

Work at the Lab supports electrification efforts by automakers such as Tesla, Inc., General Motors, Volkswagen Group, BMW, Daimler AG, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Renault, Peugeot S.A., Stellantis, Volvo Cars, and aerospace programs at Boeing and Airbus. Grid storage projects include collaborations with Iberdrola, NextEra Energy, Southern Company, EDF (Électricité de France), National Grid plc, Enel, RWE, Siemens Energy, and renewable integrators like Vestas, Ørsted, and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.

The Lab’s failure-mode analyses have influenced recalls handled by Toyota Motor Corporation and Nissan Motor Corporation and supply-chain resiliency models used by Amazon (company), Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, and Intel Corporation. Policy briefs informed by the Lab have been presented to European Commission, International Renewable Energy Agency, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change panels.

Collaborations and Funding

Funding and collaborations span venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Bessemer Venture Partners, corporate venture arms like GV (company), Intel Capital, and strategic partnerships with ABB, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls, Hitachi, Toshiba Corporation, and Mitsubishi Electric. Academic consortiums involve Consortium for Battery Innovation, Battery500 Consortium, USABC (United States Advanced Battery Consortium), Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute, EERA (European Energy Research Alliance), and industry standards bodies such as IEC and IEEE.

Grants have come from U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission Horizon 2020, National Science Foundation, DARPA, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and multi-national research foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for energy access pilot projects.

Safety and Quality Assurance

Quality assurance follows certification practices aligned with Underwriters Laboratories, International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/IEC 17025, and test standards referenced by SAE International and ASTM International. Safety protocols reflect guidance from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Fire Protection Association, European Chemicals Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and emergency response coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Accredited auditors include assessors certified by International Accreditation Forum signatories and audits performed with oversight from National Institute of Standards and Technology and peer review by researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Continuous improvement cycles are informed by incident reviews from Underwriters Laboratories and best practices promoted at International Electrotechnical Commission workshops.

Category:Research institutes in California