The Hydro-Québec research institute (IREQ) in Varennes, QC and Spain’s CIC Energigune are working on a solid state battery they hope will replace today’s lithium-ion chemistry.
The design uses a solid, non-flammable electrolyte and metallic lithium anode with a specially-treated surface, “which allows batteries to reach high energy densities without resorting to unsustainable elements, such as cobalt,” Cleantech Canada reports.
Compared to the current electric vehicle range of 160 to 200 kilometres on a charge, “our technology will lead to batteries with a range of more than 350 kilometres,” said Hydro’s energy storage and conversion manager, Karim Zaghib. “It’s a mature, really powerful technology and it will be ready to bring to market very soon.”
