American experts have developed a new electric car battery that charges in just 10 minutes and lasts 250 miles on a single charge.
EV batteries are made of lithium-iron phosphate, known for “unmatched safety”, and can be heated and cooled quickly – key to fast charging and long life.
Heat rapidly to 140 ° F for charging and discharging and then cool when the battery is not in use.
The system could address “distance anxiety” – drivers’ fears that they do not have enough charge on the electric vehicle (EV) to take them to their destination.
The researchers say their battery should last more than 2 million miles in a lifetime and would be “a well-rounded propulsion system for electric vehicles on the market” if marketed.
A thermally modulated battery for electric vehicles on the market, without remote anxiety and certainly unmatched, low cost and no cobalt content, is being developed by a team of engineers from Penn State.
“There is no longer any anxiety about autonomy and this battery is accessible,” said Chao-Yang Wang of Penn State University in the United States.
“Very fast charging allows us to reduce the size of the battery without causing autonomy anxiety.”
According to Wang, these batteries can produce a large amount of energy when heated – 40 kilowatt hours and 300 kilowatts of power.
An EV with this battery could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in three seconds and drive like a Porsche, he said.
“We have developed a fairly smart battery for electric vehicles on the market, at a cost parity with combustion engine vehicles,” Wang said.
“This is how we will change the environment and we will not only contribute to luxury cars. Allow all electric vehicles.
Batteries have three main components – the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte.
The electrolyte is usually a chemical that separates the anode and cathode and shifts the flow of electrical charge between the two.
The battery uses a self-heating approach previously developed in Wang’s center. Pictured, EV car battery (stock image)
Because lithium is a highly reactive element, it stores a large amount of energy.
Lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte – a flammable, carbon-based liquid.
But this liquid electrolyte is often flammable and has been accused of lithium-ion batteries flaring up when overheated, for example.
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, a type of lithium-ion battery, are an alternative.
They use lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as a cathodic material, are already used in electric vehicles and are renowned for safety.
This new battery is also lithium-iron phosphate, but is described as a “thermally modulated LFP”.
It uses a self-heating approach previously developed in Wang’s lab, Penn State’s Center for Electrochemical Motors.
The self-heating battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending out of the cell to create a third terminal.
Once the electrons flow, it quickly heats the nickel foil by resistance heating and heats the inside of the battery.
Once the internal battery temperature is 140 ° F, the switch opens and the battery is ready for fast charging or discharging.
The key to long life and fast recharging is the battery’s ability to quickly heat up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, for charging and discharging, and then cooling when the battery isn’t working.
Wang’s team also used cheap materials for the cathode and anode of the battery and a safe, low-voltage electrolyte.
The cathode is thermally stable lithium iron phosphate, which does not contain any of the expensive and critical materials, such as cobalt.
While the anode is made of very large particle graphite, a safe, light and cheap material.
Because of self-heating, the researchers said they don’t have to worry about uneven lithium deposits on the anode, which can cause lithium spikes that are dangerous.
“This battery has reduced weight, volume and costs,” said Wang, who wrote a paper on the findings that were published in Nature Energy.
“I’m very happy to have finally found a battery that benefits the mass market of mass consumers.”
Distance anxiety is seen as a major barrier to the widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles – which the British government wants to see in the next 10 years.
Bans the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030, in an attempt to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the government’s goal of zero net emissions by 2050.
The first decision in the UK was opened near Braintree, Essex, in December, with the ability to simultaneously recharge the batteries of 36 plug-in cars.
The ban on petrol / diesel means that the UK needs new and efficient fast charging methods to complete more EV charging ports across the country.
In December, the first court in the UK only for electric vehicles opened in Braintree, Essex, giving drivers a chance to load their vehicles.
The service station offers 36 EV fees and shops, including a WHSmith, a post office, a gym and a wellness area for visitors to practice yoga for drivers to enjoy while their vehicles are loaded.
The EV Court is the first in a £ 1 billion national network with 100 electricity trips planned over the next five years.
Meanwhile, Coventry is working on a Scalextric-style wireless charging system that will recharge EVs while they are on the move.
Scalextric-style roads charging moving electric vehicles could soon be built in Coventry to combat “remote anxiety”
Known as wireless dynamic charge (DWC), the technology would provide an uninterruptible power supply for electric vehicles while on the move.
Coventry is evaluating the feasibility of Scalextric-style technology that would charge electric vehicles (EVs) as they go.
Known as wireless dynamic charging (DWC), the technology would provide an uninterruptible power supply for electric vehicles while on the move.
The £ 419,000 DynaCov project, backed by Coventry City Council, Toyota, National Express and others, would see electric coils embedded under asphalt on parts of the city’s roads.
These coils, which would be connected to a grid, would wirelessly transmit power to a receiver on the wheels of vehicles.
Electricity will then be transmitted from the receiver to the EV battery, giving it a continuous source of energy while it is moving.
Electric vehicles usually need to be stationary to be recharged while connected to roadside charging stations and car parks, taking up valuable time for drivers.
The DWC could be installed in cars or even in larger vehicles, such as buses or trucks, allowing them to load on the go and reducing downtime, saving time.
The system could also address “distance anxiety” – the fear of drivers not having enough charge on their electric vehicles to get them to their destination.
The British non-profit research company Cenex, another supporter of the project, told MailOnline that it would be possible to upgrade existing electric vehicles with the technology needed for dynamic wireless charging, although this can be quite expensive.
However, many electric vehicle manufacturers, including BMW and Tesla, are already incorporating wireless charging technology into their vehicles.
Read more: Coventry is working on loading the Scalextric-style EV in motion