Battery that ‘charges in seconds’
Gerbrand Ceder, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, and his colleagues have developed A new manufacturing method for lithium-ion batteries could lead to smaller, lighter batteries that can be charged in just seconds.
They studied the way in which the ions traveled through the battery, and found a method in which to allow the ions travel along the correct path faster. Their new material does not lose its capacity to charge over time in the way that standard lithium ion batteries do. That means that the excess material put into standard batteries to compensate for this loss over time is not necessary, leading to smaller, lighter batteries with phenomenal charging rates.
What is more, because there are relatively few changes to the standard manufacturing process, Professor Ceder believes the new battery material could make it to market within two to three years.