Chinese scientists may have found battery that could double electric vehicles’ range
Study says new type of lithium battery technology may offer a solution to the current ceiling on performance
Chinese scientists have developed a promising new battery technology that could dramatically increase the driving range of electric vehicles and allow them to perform more reliably in cold weather.
But researchers from Nankai University and the Shanghai Institute of Space Power Sources said they had pushed the boundaries further by developing an electrolyte that increased the energy density of liquid lithium batteries to 700 watt-hours per kg in lab tests, according to research published in Nature on Wednesday.
“This breakthrough could double the capacity of existing lithium batteries without increasing their size or weight,” a report by state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday.
“Our batteries have more than twice the energy density of ordinary batteries. Electric vehicles with a current range of 500km could travel more than 1,000km [600 miles] on a single charge using our batteries,” lead researcher Chen Jun, from Nankai University, told CCTV.