Imec develops new type of battery that allows electric vehicles to drive further
The Flemish research centre imec has developed a new battery prototype with a significantly higher energy density than the current generation of batteries. This would allow an electric car to travel more than half as far with the same battery volume, according to laboratory results.
The current generation of electric cars uses lithium-ion batteries. The range of electric vehicles has improved significantly in recent years, but there is still a growing demand for longer ranges and faster charging times. At the same time, it is important to keep batteries affordable.
A car's range is determined by the energy the battery can deliver. Since the volume of the battery remains the same, the more energy (kWh) that can be put into a battery, the greater the range. As lithium-ion batteries have reached their limits, scientists have been looking for technologies that can increase the energy density of batteries.
Solid-state battery
With 13 European partners, imec has achieved a promising breakthrough. As part of the SOLiDIFY project, they have developed a prototype lithium-metal solid-state battery with an energy density of 1,070 Wh per litre. Current lithium-ion batteries achieve an average of 600 to 700 Wh per litre.
Solid-state batteries also have other advantages: they are less flammable, which improves safety, they can be recharged more quickly, and they have a longer life. In addition, the production process for solid-state batteries is adaptable to current lithium-ion production lines and is expected to cost less than 150 euros per kWh.
The battery cell has been produced at the EnergyVille campus in Genk. The project is now in the scale-up phase.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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