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Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumOld Battery Type (NiMH) Gets an Energy Boost
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535251/old-battery-type-gets-an-energy-boost/[font face=Serif][font size=5]Old Battery Type Gets an Energy Boost[/font]
[font size=4]The chemical company BASF says the basic type of battery used now in hybrids could be improved tenfold, leading to cheaper electric cars.[/font]
By Kevin Bullis on February 19, 2015
[font size=3]Almost every automaker interested in producing electric cars is betting on improvements to lithium-ion batteries to make the cars cheaper and extend their driving range.
But scientists at BASF are exploring the possibilities of an older type of battery, nickel-metal hydride, now used in hybrids. They recently doubled the amount of energy that these batteries can store, making them comparable to lithium-ion batteries. And they have a plan to improve them far more, potentially increasing energy storage by an additional eight times.
The BASF researchers are aiming for batteries that cost $146 per kilowatt-hour, roughly half as much as the cheapest lithium-ion electric car batteries.
But nickel-metal hydride batteries have some significant advantages in cars, which is why theyve been used in hybrids for decades. Theyre durable, and inherently safer than lithium-ion batteries, partly because they dont use flammable liquids, as lithium-ion batteries dothey dont catch fire if they overheat or are overcharged so their cooling systems and electronic controls are far simpler. Safety systems can add about 25 percent to the cost of a lithium-ion battery pack, and increase their weight by 50 percent, based on data from the industry group U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium.
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[font size=4]The chemical company BASF says the basic type of battery used now in hybrids could be improved tenfold, leading to cheaper electric cars.[/font]
By Kevin Bullis on February 19, 2015
[font size=3]Almost every automaker interested in producing electric cars is betting on improvements to lithium-ion batteries to make the cars cheaper and extend their driving range.
But scientists at BASF are exploring the possibilities of an older type of battery, nickel-metal hydride, now used in hybrids. They recently doubled the amount of energy that these batteries can store, making them comparable to lithium-ion batteries. And they have a plan to improve them far more, potentially increasing energy storage by an additional eight times.
The BASF researchers are aiming for batteries that cost $146 per kilowatt-hour, roughly half as much as the cheapest lithium-ion electric car batteries.
But nickel-metal hydride batteries have some significant advantages in cars, which is why theyve been used in hybrids for decades. Theyre durable, and inherently safer than lithium-ion batteries, partly because they dont use flammable liquids, as lithium-ion batteries dothey dont catch fire if they overheat or are overcharged so their cooling systems and electronic controls are far simpler. Safety systems can add about 25 percent to the cost of a lithium-ion battery pack, and increase their weight by 50 percent, based on data from the industry group U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium.
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Old Battery Type (NiMH) Gets an Energy Boost (Original Post)
OKIsItJustMe
Feb 2015
OP
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)1. 'bout time.
NiMh battery technology has been held up by previous owners (GM and later Texaco) for years.
Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)2. That would improve my energy capacity
about 60%, and increase my range from 70 miles to around 112.
Nice, but...
they are years away from market from what I am reading in this article. My guess would be 5+ years. During that time, L-ion already on the market batteries will continue to improve incrementally. So, this looks like a wash unless they can get the improved tech to market faster.
nilram
(2,888 posts)3. Is it Boeing that had the cockpit fires because of LiON batteries?
I wouldn't like it if my car caught on fire, but I'd really hate it if a plane I was in caught on fire.