Energy Storage
The number of devices manufactured each year which require rechargeable batteries is astounding, numbering in the billions. A single example of this are the 1.5 billion smartphones produced every year, each requiring a rechargeable battery and the list of applications with similar scale continues to grow.
Advancing lithium ion batteries for the future
Whether it be smartphones or EVs, the same dynamic prevails – customers demand increasing functionality and/or performance from their devices, which demands the same from their energy source. Today, that source consists primarily of batteries based upon lithium-ion technology in a limited set of formulations and configurations.
A single electric car requires approximately 4,000 batteries, requiring 4 billion for 1 million EVs. And these are just a couple of the markets driving growth in the battery industry.
Whatever the particular formulation or form factor of a lithium battery there are inherent costs faced by manufacturers that inherently pass on to users. Capacity/range requires more battery volume which equals more weight...and the longer it takes to charge the vehicle creates a pain point for EV owners. This dynamic places the battery industry under constant pressure to produce batteries that hold more energy, weigh less, take up less space, charge more quickly and operate more safely. This collective of needs continues to require innovation in every aspect of battery engineering and design, but especially in the materials used to make them.
More bang for your buck without changing chemistry
A new class of carbon-based materials promises higher capacity and discharge rates while remaining complementary to industry-standard
Li-ion battery materials.
