Researchers at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have burst through the lithium-ion ceiling with an improved material that could allow the batteries to charge in minutes, rather than hours, as they currently require.
The researchers found that the ions moved slowly across the lithium iron phosphate material common in today’s rechargeable batteries. They reworked the material to create “tunnels” that the ions could move through much more quickly, reducing both the charge and discharge times of the battery. Because the material is not new but just redesigned, the battery could be on the market sooner rather than later.
This breakthrough has implications for more than just EVs, though. Phones, laptops, MP3 players — pretty much anything that uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery — will be able to fully discharge, which extends the life of the battery, and then recharge in a fraction of the time required now.
Sources: InventorSpot, GearLive
Tags: electric cars, lithium-ion, MIT, rechargeable batteries
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