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April 2, 2015

Stanford Team Improves Potential of Solid-State Electrolytes by Enhancing Ionic Conductivity

Solid-state electrolytesâ€™ potential advantages in energy density and safety compared with conventional liquid electrolytes have made them the hottest topic in the battery world. However, there are several challenges to be overcome, including the low mobility of lithium ions in solid electrolytes. Now, a team of Stanford researchers have used […]

March 31, 2015

Your EV Battery Lifespan Might Last Longer Than You Think

A fresh look at actual driving records has yielded a surprising (to some) conclusion about the useful lifespan of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Conventional wisdom has it that EV drivers will ditch their ride after the battery loses 20% of its storage capacity, but our friends over at Lawrence Berkeley […]

March 29, 2015

Volkswagen Set To Make Decision On Solid-State Technology From QuantumScape

The Volkswagen Groupâ€™s decision on what exactly to do with the solid-state energy storage technology currently under development by the company QuantumScape will be made sometime before July, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. That report â€” which cited the Chairman of the Board of Management, Professor Martin Winterkorn […]

March 26, 2015

EV Battery Costs Already â€˜Probablyâ€™ Cheaper Than 2020 Projections

The cost of electric vehicle battery packs is falling so rapidly they are probably already cheaper than expected for 2020, according to a new study in Nature Climate Change. Electric vehicles remain more expensive than combustion-engine equivalents, largely because of battery costs. In 2013 the International Energy Agency (IEA)Â estimatedÂ cost-parity could […]

March 24, 2015

Researchers Discover New High-Performance Cathode Material for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries are one of the hottest topics in the battery field today, as they could theoretically offer energy density up to four times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries. However, one of several challenges to be overcome is finding cathode materials that demonstrate long-term stability. An international team of […]

March 17, 2015

Ionic Liquid Electrolytes May Open the Door for Higher-Voltage Batteries

The curious case of ionic liquids:Â Boulder Ionics/CoorsTek Specialty Chemicals Iolyte electrolytes When you think of liquids under the brand name Coors, you think of the Silver Bullet, the Banquet Beer. You certainly donâ€™t think of high technology, unless youâ€™re really easily impressed by cold-activated cans. However, not everyone knows that […]

March 11, 2015

Real-time Images of Lithium Dendrite Structures Could Lead to Better Batteries

Scientists at the DOEâ€™s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have captured the first real-time nanoscale images of lithium dendrite structures in lithium-ion batteries. The ORNL team is confident that its research, published in Nano Letters, will be of great benefit to scientists who are experimenting with different ways to tackle the […]

March 8, 2015

Researchers Develop Redox Flow Battery With High Energy Density

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery that could offer more than two times the energy density of existing designs. Flow batteries, which use ionized liquids stored in external tanks in place of traditional electrolytes, have garnered a lot of publicity lately, […]

February 26, 2015

Samsung SDI Acquiring EV Battery Pack Business Of Magna International

One of the top energy solutions companies in the world, Samsung SDI Company, is acquiring the battery pack business of the automotive supplier Magna International, according to recent reports. The acquisition is intended to support and improve the companyâ€™s electric vehicle (EV) battery business â€” by adding the expertise (in […]

February 24, 2015

Nickel-metal Hydride: the Battery Tech of the Future?

Conventional wisdom has it that lithium-ion batteries are the state of the art, and that nickel-metal hydride chemistry, which is used in most conventional hybrids (some of the newer Prius models now use Li-ion), is pretty much obsolete. However, scientists at BASF believe that NiMH technology still has much to […]

February 21, 2015

Tesla Home Battery On The Way

One of the biggest statements on Teslaâ€™s last quarterly conference call was that it would be unveiling a battery storage system for home use withinÂ 1â€“2 months. I know that severalÂ competing energy storage companies are watching closely to see what the details (especially price) end up beingâ€¦ while surely also being […]

February 19, 2015

QUANTiNO Concept With Low-Voltage Flow Battery Has 620-mile Range, 124 mph Top Speed

Liechtenstein-based nanoFlowcell AG has taken a different approach to battery design. Its vehicles use a flow battery systemÂ whichÂ works like a combination of a battery and a fuel cell, using liquid electrolytes kept in two tanks and pumped through the cell. At the heart of the system is a membrane that […]