Canadian researchers promise that their technology can make electric car batteries last at least 8 million kilometers and still have 80 percent of their capacity remaining.
A team of Canadian researchers from Dalhousie University claims to have developed an electric car battery with a lifespan of at least 8 million kilometers.
For six years, the researchers have been testing a lithium-ion battery with a single-crystal electrode that shows minimal degradation after repeated charging and discharging.
– It's essentially a really durable material that's much more resistant to mechanical stress, says Toby Bond, one of the researchers behind the project.
This is what the National Observer writes.
The results indicate that the battery can last up to ten times longer than current electric car batteries. After 8 million kilometers, the battery still had 80 percent of its original capacity.
The single-crystal electrode is key to the battery's durability. The researchers compare its function to an ice cube, which is more robust than a snowball.
"If you hold a snowball in one hand and an ice cube in the other, it's much easier to smash the snowball than the ice cube, right? So it's a similar principle with the battery," explains Toby Bond.
Although single crystal electrodes are already on the market, their use in electric vehicles is still limited.
"These single-crystal electrodes are already on the market. And I think they'll be in electric car batteries soon. I really want one," says Bond.
The next step for the researchers is to test the battery cells in a battery pack. However, it is difficult to predict the exact lifespan of the battery in an electric car, as single crystal electrodes require more frequent charging.
If the technology lives up to expectations, it could mean a revolution for the electric car industry, where the battery could potentially outlast the life of the car.
