Advanced nanotech batteries are becoming a driving force in making electric cars go farther and faster between charges, up to five times farther than today’s conventional batteries, according to ZAP and Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. With this in mind, the two companies recently announced the opening of a joint development office in Beijing, China, to expand their research, manufacturing and marketing of advanced batteries for electric cars using the latest in nanotechnology.
Advanced Battery Technologies is incorporating the latest in nanotechnology to create a new generation of lithium-polymer batteries with a higher energy density while improving the performance, life expectancy and safety.
Lithium ion batteries have been a leading technology in electric cars for years. While the technology has been proven in smaller formats, it's been found to be less stable in larger formats. Because they are inert, nanoparticles do not sulfate in reaction with the chemistry of lithium-polymer batteries, unlike conventional graphite electrode materials. This innovation provides a more stable battery system, allowing larger-format lithium batteries with a safer, more robust chemistry.
These smaller, nanoparticles also create a greater surface area—up to 100 times greater—allowing a faster, shorter-distance transmission of electrons in and out of the battery, adding to the energy density while increasing the charge and discharge rate for improved performance. The more stable battery chemistry also adds to the life expectancy of the battery, with an estimated cycle life of more than 1,000 charges, more than double that of conventional batteries.
What this means for electric cars is three to five times greater performance in terms of range and speed, as well as faster charge times, in some cases, as little as 10 minutes.
Source: ZAP, Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (August 2, 2007). “ZAP, Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. Join Forces to Commercialize Nanotech Batteries for Electric Cars.” ZAP, Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. press release courtesy of PR Newswire.