NEC develops tech to improve Li-ion capacity by 30%

NEC develops tech to improve Li-ion capacity by 30%

In Japan, a report states that NEC has developed technology that improves the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries by at least 30%, which paves the way for EVs to achieve long-distance travel.

With the technology, a typical EV will be able to get around 260 km on a single charge, up from 200 km now. Commercialisation is targeted within two years, the Nikkei reports.

The challenge has been to increase the voltage to improve the battery’s capacity while minimising the formation of life-shortening gases inside the unit. The company says it has developed electrodes and electrolytes that cut down on the formation of gases at high voltage, thus improving capacity without needing the likes of cobalt in the electrodes.

The company currently manufactures lithium-ion batteries in Kanagawa Prefecture for its own power storage systems, but also supplies electrode materials to its battery joint venture with Nissan, which uses Li-ion batteries in the Leaf.

Batteries using the new tech will have a comparable life and production costs to those in the Leaf, but would offer a 30% improved operating range. NEC is looking to sell the newly-developed electrode materials to other firms as well. It’s not the only cutting-edge tech to have surfaced – a quartet of companies recently announced that they were banding up to build new lithium-ion battery material.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • bmwgo on Oct 10, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    260 range? still short…. >300 then feasible.

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  • not a car enthusiast on Oct 10, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    Improvement in range is definitely welcomed, but it is only half of the story. Even if the EV can last 260km or 300km or a lot more, it will not quell people range-anxiety feeling. When used as a daily transport, it is bound to happen that sooner or later, we’ll running out of juice before reaching the destination. Then we are stuck at the quick charging station for an hour or so – if we are lucky to find one. That is sure to ruin your schedule.

    The charging time has to be no longer than the time it takes to fill up our normal car with petrol. Improve the range, but also equally important, improve the charging time.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3
    • Carl Wong on Feb 23, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      We could charge it earlier at 30-50% state of charge to be on the safe side? Don’t wait until it reaches less than 10% before charging the Lithium Ion Batteries……

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • technology based industry is very challenging these days.Today NEC create batery can go 260km.by production next 2 years, someone else could have created battery can last 350km and the race goes on and on..

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  • Carl Wong on Oct 11, 2012 at 12:03 am

    Good…..

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  • ThePolygon on Oct 12, 2012 at 12:58 am

    Wha? What happened to that liquid electrons solution? They had it a while ago that it stores the charge in liquid form. Just drain the discharged liquid and fill it up with the charged one. Pump it in like fuel. It’s either that or battery swapping at the stations.

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  • Sam Loo on Oct 12, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    And the Koreans are now busy copying …….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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