Advancements in Developing More Efficient Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Scientists have succeeded in creating a type of battery that can power electric vehicles much better than current lithium-ion batteries; however, this battery is years away from commercial production. According to Reuters, researchers at the University of Cambridge announced that they have developed a laboratory model of a lithium-oxygen battery that overcomes many challenges in this industry. According to these researchers, the new battery has a very high energy density and an efficiency of 93; it can be charged more than 2000 times. "Claire Gray," a materials chemistry professor at the University of Cambridge, who oversees this research, called it "a step towards a practical battery," although she stated that there are still many obstacles to creating an ideal battery. Researchers say that producing a practical lithium-oxygen battery will take more than a decade, partly due to the battery's low capability for charging and discharging. Current vehicle batteries cannot match a full tank of gasoline in a conventional engine. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries were unveiled in 1991 and were one of the factors in the revolution of electronic devices, including laptops and smartphones, as well as some vehicles. However, lithium-oxygen batteries, also known as lithium-air, can store up to 10 times the energy of lithium-ion batteries; they can also be marketed at one-fifth the price and one-fifth the weight of current batteries, potentially matching gasoline vehicles. This new battery still faces issues such as durability, the need for pure oxygen rather than regular air, and safety. The intellectual property of this research is held by the Cambridge Enterprise, the commercial branch of the university. This research has been published in the journal "Science."