You’ve got to love an electric car. Low running costs, kind to the planet and oh so quiet. But it turns out they have an Achilles heel: poor performance in extreme temperatures.
Luckily, there’s a new high-energy battery that could put an end to these woes, thanks to its secret weapon: an electrolyte made from dibutyl ether and a lithium salt. The former improves performance at higher temperatures, the latter at sub-zero temperatures.
This innovative electrolyte is also compatible with lithium-sulphur battery designs, which enhance performance at lower temperatures and store up to twice as much energy per unit weight compared to current lithium-ion batteries. In other words, giving you double the range with no added battery weight.
In tests, these energy-dense lithium-ion batteries retained 87.5% at −40 °F and 115.9% at 50 °F of their energy capacity. They also displayed high Coulombic efficiencies in these temperatures, meaning they can withstand more charge-discharge cycles.
As the Express reports, existing EV battery packs quickly degrade in extreme temperatures. Car batteries naturally heat up during use. And because they are typically located under a vehicle’s floor, that warming process is accelerated.
The prototype offers high stability, low degradation and optimization in extreme temperatures. The hope now is to scale up the battery chemistry, extend its lifecycle and boost its performance at even higher temperatures.
