11-16-2016, 06:01 AM
Researchers at Columbia University ((New York, NY)) have developed a new method to increase the energy density of lithium (Li-ion) batteries by up to a third. The team, led by Yuan Yang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Columbia Engineering, has built a trilayer structure that is stable even in ambient air, which makes the battery both longer lasting and cheaper to manufacture. "When lithium batteries are charged the first time, they lose anywhere from 5-20% energy in that first cycle," said Yang. "Through our design, we've been able to gain back this loss, and we think our method has great potential to increase the operation time of batteries for portable electronics and electrical vehicles."
New Li-ion battery design method promises higher energy density | Electronics EETimes
Lithium-ion battery costs have declined by 65 percent since 2010, which have helped automakers close the gap on sale prices with convention vehicles. Also, the range of EVs have extended, as the figures mentioned above associated with new models indicate. More EV models will satisfy a range of consumer needs. Moreover, refueling infrastructure, one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle, continues to improve as well. The number of EV refueling stations have surged by 89 percent over the last three years.