Photo: @Gfilche/Twitter
The Jeff Dahn team that works with Tesla has revealed a new battery design that could last 100 years before a replacement is required. This means the battery can be reinstalled in several other vehicles before it needs to be recycled.
Created in 2016, Tesla Advanced Battery Research has partnered with Dalhousie University in Canada to develop a nickel-based battery that offers far greater longevity than batteries currently used in electric vehicles. The nickel-based alternative described in the new study is theoretically able to overcome energy density limitations and increase battery longevity while offering a significantly improved life cycle.
The researchers, including Jeff Dahn, have published a paper detailing the study titled “Li[Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2]O2 as a Superior Alternative to LiFePO4 for Long-Lived Low Voltage Li-Ion Cells” in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society on May 9, 2022. It states that excellent high-temperature service life is demonstrated with electrolytes that contain lithium bis(flurosulonyl)mide (LiFSl) salt, well beyond those provided by conventional LiPF6 electrolytes.
“NMC cells, particularly those balanced and charged to 3.8 V, show better coulombic efficiency, less capacity fade and higher energy density compared to LFP cells and are projected to yield lifetimes approaching a century at 25 °C.”
Creating an ultra-long-life battery could ultimately dramatically reduce the production costs and environmental impact of electric vehicles. Although today, Tesla is 100% recycling its batteries, it strives to prolong their longevity as long as possible, as this is the most sustainable option. At the moment, the batteries in Tesla vehicles last for about 200,000 miles, or more than 20 years, before charge capacity starts to drop by more than 20 percent. This is already a long service life, but there is room for improvement. By creating a battery that can last longer than the car itself, it can be reused in new models—likely even several times—before it needs to be recycled.
© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
