Breakthrough EV battery could deliver 500 miles on a 12-minute charge

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and LG Energy Solution have announced a huge breakthrough. They say this breakthrough could allow electric vehicles to travel 800 kilometers (500 miles) on a 12-minute charge.

The achievement — published in the journal Nature Energy — involves a lithium-metal battery breakthrough that solves a critical safety and performance issue that has been slowing down the development of the technology.

Lithium-metal batteries offer much higher energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries, as they use pure lithium metal instead of a graphite anode. However, lithium-ion batteries are mainstream today because lithium-metal batteries were prone to dendrites. Dendrites are sharp, tree-like lithium crystals that grow on the anodes of lithium batteries during charging. The formation of dendrites hampers performance and can even cause short-circuits.

To solve this problem, the research team figured out exactly how dendrites formed and came up with a novel solution to prevent their formation. They discovered the growth of dendrites was triggered by “non-uniform interfacial cohesion on the surface of the lithium metal.” So they developed a “cohesion-inhibiting new liquid electrolyte” that has an anion structure with a weak binding affinity to lithium ions. This approach ensures lithium is deposited smoothly across the anode, thereby suppressing dendrite growth even in rapid-charging sessions.

In a lab setting, the new battery charged from 5% to 70% in 12 minutes for over 350 cycles. The team also modeled high-density designs with energy densities as high as 386 Wh per kilogram that could go from 10% to 80% in 17 minutes.

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