In what seems to be a magic trick, Dele Fayemi runs a batch of batteries in a beaker of boiling water – a physical impossibility that should cause a short circuit. Lithium batteries boil in Novec, a non-conductive, non-flammable liquid that 3M hopes to sell automakers to cool batteries and extend the range of dozens of new electric vehicle models in the future, in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., February 14, 2018. But instead of a highly-dangerous combination of water and electricity, the 3M Co ( MMM.N ) engineer is testing the batteries in Novec, a non-flammable, non-conductive liquid the conglomerate has sold to cool supercomputers, and which it now aims to sell to automakers to cool batteries. Maintaining a constant, low temperature helps electric vehicles (EVs) drive longer distances, so keeping batteries cool could help solve a […]