New Chinese-made battery charges an electric vehicle in just 4 minutes
They are calling it a breakthrough
Charged battery. By Getty Images
- Chinese researchers say a new sodium metal battery can charge electric vehicles in four minutes.
- The battery uses a quasi-solid gel electrolyte to stop dendrites, which can reduce performance and cause short circuits.
- The technology could lower battery costs, but it remains years from commercial use due to unresolved stability challenges.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
These newly developed sodium metal batteries (SMBs) are said to retain their capacity for years, thereby combining two characteristics that are difficult to achieve at the same time.
From smartphones to laptops, from EVs to backup systems used in data centers: lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are commonly used to power our devices. These batteries, however, rely on lithium, a metal that is hard to obtain and found in only a few key regions, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and China.
Sodium, on the other hand, is widely available and inexpensive, making it a more suitable candidate for future energy storage. Sodium-ion batteries (Na-ion), however, do come with a downside: they are larger and heavier than Li-ion batteries.
That’s where SMBs come into play. They are considered light-weight, stable batteries and are cheaper to produce than traditional Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. Additionally, they can ultra-charge EVs in just 4 minutes.
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However, there’s one major challenge. Inside the battery, tiny stalagmite-like structures known as dendrites can form due to repeated charging. These dendrites not only reduce the battery’s performance but also pose serious safety risks, including short-circuiting.
As reported by Live Science, Chinese researchers claim they have solved this issue by using a tough, quasi-solid gel electrolyte, dubbed Sn-FB QSE, which strengthens the battery against punctures and provides a semisolid internal structure that prevents dendrites from forming.
Laboratory testing showed that SMBs can achieve ultra-fast charging while retaining capacity after more than 6,000 hours of charging without dendrite formation.
SMBs are still being researched and won’t be in commercial products anytime soon because the issues of dendrite formation and stability at lower temperatures need to be fully resolved first.
However, the results do show that SMBs may one day compete with Li-ion batteries, especially for products that require quick charging and long-lasting performance.
