Chinese scientists produce a powerful winter-proof lithium battery

A new electrolyte has been developed that allows lithium-ion batteries to operate in temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius

The development solves issues around operating and charging batteries for use in electric vehicles and aviation in extreme temperatures

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A new electrolyte for use in lithium-ion batteries could help electric vehicles and planes operate in extreme temperatures. Photo: Zhejiang University

Published: 6:00pm, 2 Mar 2024

A new electrolyte that allows lithium-ion batteries to charge and operate in temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit) has been developed by Chinese scientists.

Their work, which also uncovered a previously unknown ion transport method within batteries, could pave the way for creating high-energy batteries capable of operating in extreme conditions.

These batteries could be used in a wide array of applications, including electric vehicles, aviation, marine electronics, railways, polar exploration and telecommunications, according to Fan Xiulin, a professor at Zhejiang University and one of the lead scientists behind the development.

Lithium-ion batteries have been limited for use in low-temperature environments because it is “virtually impossible” to create a battery that can simultaneously have high energy density, have a wide operating temperature and be fast charging.

One of the reasons is because an electrolyte – a battery component that transfers ions between electrodes – enabling all of these aspects requires contradictory properties.

But such a battery could become a reality using a new electrolyte detailed in a paper published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

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