One of the original inventors of the lithium-ion battery believes he has created a vastly improved battery that will take over from the popular lithium-ion versions.
John Goodenough, professor at the University of Texas, led a team of engineers who have created an all-solid-state battery that reportedly has a greater number of charging and discharging cycles, a long battery life and at least three times the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries.
The team have used solid-glass electrolytes, which mean that alkali metals such as lithium, sodium and potassium can be used for the anode. The main advantage of this is that it gives the battery a longer life – and if it were used in an electric vehicle, that would also mean a longer range.
According to the researchers, their solid-glass electrolyte would be able to work at temperatures below freezing, which would have obvious benefits in colder climates.
While the Texas team notes that they need to carry out further testing on their battery, they are confident about its development.
Mr Goodenough thinks this could be a turning point for electric vehicle batteries. “We believe our discovery solves many of the problems that are inherent in today’s batteries,” he stated.
The discovery could be well-timed given that research published recently by Frost & Sullivan noted that the global electric vehicle market is growing.
Factors such as lower battery prices, new organisations entering the sector and the availability of subsidies and incentives to drivers are among those helping push the market to new heights.
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