American experts have developed a new battery for electric cars that charges in just 10 minutes and lasts 400 kilometers with one charge.
The EV batteries are made of lithium iron phosphate, known for its ‘unsurpassed safety’, and can heat up and cool down quickly – the key to fast charging and long life.
They quickly heat up to 140 ° F to charge and discharge and then cool down when the battery is not in use.
The system could alleviate ‘range anxiety’ – drivers’ fear that their electric vehicle (EV) is not charged enough to get them to their destination.
Researchers say their battery should last more than 2 million miles in their life and be “ a well-rounded electric electric vehicle drivetrain ” if commercialized.
A thermally modulated battery for mass-market electric vehicles with no fear of range, unsurpassed safety, low cost and cobalt-free, is being developed by a team of engineers at Penn State.
“There is no longer any fear of range and this battery is affordable,” said Chao-Yang Wang of Penn State University in the US.
“Due to the very fast charge, we can reduce the battery size without causing fear of range.”
According to Wang, these batteries can produce a large amount of power when heated: 40 kilowatt hours and 300 kilowatts of power.
An electric car with this battery could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in three seconds and drive like a Porsche, he said.
“We’ve developed a pretty smart battery for mass-market electric vehicles that is similar in cost to an internal combustion engine,” Wang said.
‘In this way we will change the environment and not only contribute to luxury cars. Make everyone pay for electric vehicles. ‘
Batteries have three main components: the anode, cathode and electrolyte.
The electrolyte is typically a chemical that separates the anode and cathode and moves the flow of electrical charge between the two.
The battery uses a self-heating method previously developed in the center of Wang. Pictured, EV car battery (stock image)
Since lithium is a highly reactive element, it stores a large amount of energy.
Lithium ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte – a carbon-based flammable liquid.
But this liquid electrolyte is often flammable and is blamed on lithium ion batteries, for example, that burn up when overheated.
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, a type of lithium ion battery, are an alternative.
They use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as the cathode material, are already used in EVs, and are known for their safety.
This new battery is also lithium iron phosphate but has been referred to as a ‘thermally modulated LFP’.
It uses a self-heating method previously developed in Wang’s lab, Penn State’s Electrochemical Engine Center.
The self-heating battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative pole and the other end outside the cell to create a third pole.
Once electrons flow, it quickly heats up the nickel foil through resistance heating and heats the inside of the battery.
Once the internal temperature of the battery is 140 ° F, the switch will open and the battery is ready for quick charge or discharge.
The key to long life and fast charging is the battery’s ability to quickly heat up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, for charge and discharge, and then cool down when the battery is not working
Wang’s team also used inexpensive materials for the battery’s cathode and anode, 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 inexpensive material.
Because of the self-heating, the researchers said they don’t need to worry about uneven deposition of lithium on the anode, which can cause dangerous lithium spikes.
“This battery has a lower weight, volume and cost,” said Wang, who wrote an article on the findings published in Nature Energy.
“I am very pleased that we have finally found a battery that will benefit the mainstream consumer mass market.”
Range anxiety is seen as a major barrier to widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles – something the UK government wants to see in the next 10 years.
It bans the sale of gasoline and diesel cars from 2030, in an effort to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the government’s net zero emissions target by 2050.
UK’s first electric car forecourt opened in December near Braintree, Essex, with the capacity to charge the batteries of 36 plug-in cars simultaneously
The petrol / diesel ban means that the UK needs new and efficient charging methods quickly to complement more EV charging ports across the country.
In December, Britain’s first forecourt was for electric vehicles only opened in Braintree, Essex, allowing drivers to recharge their vehicles.
The gas station features 36 electric vehicle charging stations and retail outlets, including a WHSmith, post office, gym and wellness area where visitors can practice yoga for drivers to enjoy while their electric vehicles recharge.
The EV filling station is the first of a nationwide £ 1 billion network of 100 electric forecourts planned over the next five years.
Meanwhile, the city of Coventry is working on a Scalextric-style wireless charging system that could potentially charge EVs while on the move.
Scalextric-style roads that charge electric vehicles while on the move could soon be built in Coventry to address ‘range anxiety’
Known as dynamic wireless charging (DWC), the technology is said to provide an uninterrupted power supply for electric vehicles while driving
Coventry is exploring the feasibility of Scalextric style technology that would charge electric vehicles (EVs) on the go.
Known as dynamic wireless charging (DWC), the technology is said to provide an uninterrupted power supply for electric vehicles while driving.
The £ 419,000 ‘DynaCov’ project, supported by Coventry City Council, Toyota, National Express and others, would see electric coils under asphalt on certain sections of the city’s roads.
These coils, which would be connected to the mains, would transfer power wirelessly to a receiver in the wheels of vehicles.
Electricity would then be fed from the receiver to the EV’s battery, giving it a continuous source of power while driving.
Typically, EVs have to be stationary to charge while plugged into roadside charging stations and parking garages, which is valuable time for drivers.
DWC can be installed in cars or even larger vehicles such as buses or trucks, so they can charge on the go and reduce the number of stops, saving time.
The system can also tackle ‘range anxiety’ – drivers’ fear that their electric car will not be charged enough to get to their destination.
UK non-profit research firm Cenex, another funder of the project, told MailOnline it would be possible to equip existing EVs with the technology needed for dynamic wireless charging, although this can be quite expensive.
However, many EV manufacturers, including BMW and Tesla, are already integrating wireless charging technology into their vehicles.
Read more: Coventry is working on charging Scalextric-style EVs on the go