Chinese researchers have set up a pilot production line for a new type of lithium battery that has twice the energy density of the most advanced electric vehicle (EV) batteries on the market.
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The team from Tianjin University’s school of materials science explained their approach to designing and manufacturing lithium batteries in a paper published in the top journal Nature on Wednesday.
This new type of battery can achieve an energy density – the amount of energy that can be stored per mass – of over 600 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg). In comparison, the energy density of Tesla’s 4680 battery is around 300Wh/kg. BYD’s widely used Blade Battery is only 150Wh/kg.
It also surpassed Beijing’s goal for EV batteries to reach 400Wh/kg under the “Made in China 2025” plan to upgrade the country’s hi-tech industries and reduce its reliance on imports.
If this new battery can be put into large-scale use, it could double or even quadruple the range of electric vehicles and shatter “range anxiety”, or the fear that a car will not have enough charge to reach its destination – considered the last great barrier to EV dominance.
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The team’s battery has shown resilience in tests against low temperatures, fire, and even nail punctures, showing superior thermal and mechanical stability.
