This revolutionary battery technology could double range of EVs
What's the story
Chinese researchers have developed a revolutionary new battery technology that could significantly improve electric vehicles' (EV) driving range. The breakthrough comes from a team at Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power Sources. Their research, published in Nature, shows an electrolyte that boosts the energy density of liquid lithium batteries to an unprecedented 700Wh per kg in lab tests.
Potential impact
Double the capacity without increasing size/weight
The new battery technology could potentially double the capacity of existing lithium batteries without increasing their size or weight. "Our batteries have more than twice the energy density of ordinary batteries," lead researcher Chen Jun from Nankai University told CCTV. He added that an electric vehicle with a current range of 500km could travel over 1,000km on a single charge using these advanced batteries.
Added benefits
The new batteries will also work well in cold weather
The new battery technology also promises to make EVs more reliable in cold weather. This is a major advantage over traditional lithium batteries, which have been struggling with energy density limitations. The most common types of liquid-state batteries, lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium, are nearing their theoretical limits of around 350Wh per kg.