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How CATL Made Batteries 90% Cheaper (And What Happens Next). What if I told you the world's largest battery company just announced batteries that cost as low as $10 per kilowatt hour? Not $100. Ten. And the kicker? They're using salt. Yes, the same stuff sitting on your kitchen table. But CATL makes more lithium batteries than anyone else on the planet. They're literally winning the lithium game. So why are they suddenly pivoting to a technology that's been considered second-rate for decades? No technical papers. No detailed explanations. Just bold claims and two new products ready to hit the...

A new nickel-rich, single-crystal battery technology is on track for rapid deployment A seemingly simple shift in lithium-ion battery manufacturing could pay big dividends, improving electric vehicles’ (EV) ability to store more energy per charge and to withstand more charging cycles, according to new research led by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. An EV’s mileage depends on the deliverable energy from each of the constituent cells of its battery pack. For lithium-ion cells—which dominate the EV battery market—both the cell-level energy capacity and the cell cost are bottlenecked by the positive electrode, or cathode. Now that bottleneck...

(Kitco News) – Gold has had a breakout year as the yellow metal surged to new heights above $2,500 while its grey counterpart, silver, has struggled to keep pace, but that could soon change, according to one analyst, as silver demand is expected to increase thanks to one new technological development from Samsung. According to retired investment professional Kevin Bambrough, Samsung has developed a new solid-state (SS) battery. The inclusion of silver as a key component, combined with the increasing demand for electric vehicles, means that demand for the grey metal will soon increase. “The key drivers that will ramp...

A lithium-air battery that rivals gasoline in energy density may be the game-changer EVs have been waiting for. ================================================================= In a major leap toward next-generation energy storage, researchers have created a lithium-air battery that could one day rival gasoline in energy density, offering up to four times the capacity of today’s lithium-ion batteries. If realized at scale, such a breakthrough could transform everything from electric vehicles to grid storage. This cutting-edge development, led by scientists at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Argonne National Laboratory, hinges on achieving a four-electron chemical reaction—a feat never before accomplished in a lithium-air battery...

Ask someone who drives a gasoline-powered car why they wouldn't want to get an electric one, and you're almost certain to hear this answer: they take way too long to charge. They're not even entirely wrong. Even though DC fast charging times are getting shorter and shorter for modern electric vehicles, they can seem totally unacceptable for anyone who's used to fueling a gas-powered car in a matter of minutes—and that still describes most people in this country. To counter this, the Chinese carmaking giant BYD, which recently surpassed Tesla in EV sales, came up with an idea so ambitious...

Chery Automobile, a Chinese automaker, recently released a prototype solid-state battery that offers double the energy density of current EV batteries. Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story. * Solid-state batteries are the next quantum leap for EVs, unlocking more range, performance, and longevity. * Chery Automobile’s prototype battery module boasts a 600 Wh/Kg energy density—double the energy density of most current EV batteries. * Chery’s new battery is also puncture-resistant, significantly reducing the risk of fire should any of the cells be damaged. ============================================== Energy density is the latest hot pursuit for unlocking more range and performance...

Researchers have developed a battery that can convert nuclear energy into electricity via light emission, a new study suggests. Nuclear power plants, which generate about 20% of all electricity produced in the United States, produce almost no greenhouse gas emissions. However, these systems do create radioactive waste, which can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Safely disposing of this waste can be challenging. Using a combination of scintillator crystals, high-density materials that emit light when they absorb radiation, and solar cells, the team, led by researchers from The Ohio State University, demonstrated that ambient gamma radiation could be...

Korean researchers have developed advanced Ni-rich cathodes that improve all-solid-state battery performance, offering longer lifespans and greater energy efficiency. n an era where electronic devices and electric vehicles demand better battery performance, scientists are racing to develop batteries that last longer, charge faster, and store more energy. A promising solution lies in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), which could outperform traditional lithium-ion batteries in both efficiency and safety. At the heart of this innovation is the cathode active material (CAM), particularly those rich in nickel (Ni), which plays a crucial role in boosting battery performance. Role of Ni-rich cathodes ASSBs differ from...

DGIST researchers developed a nitrogen-doped carbon material to boost the performance of lithium–sulfur batteries, achieving faster charging, improved capacity, and long-term stability, paving the way for their commercialization. Professor Jong-sung Yu’s team developed a nitrogen-doped porous carbon material that boosts lithium–sulfur battery performance, achieving rapid charging (12 minutes) and long-term stability (82% capacity retention after 1,000 cycles). This breakthrough could accelerate battery commercialization. A research team led by Professor Jong-sung Yu from the DGIST Department of Energy Science and Engineering, under President Kunwoo Lee, has developed a groundbreaking technology to dramatically improve the charging speed of lithium-sulfur batteries. The team...

The battery will not catch fire or explode in response to punctures or even gunshots, unlike some current batteries that can be unsafe if damaged or exposed to high temperatures, says Chinese startup Betavolt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chinese company Betavolt claims to have developed a battery that could power mobile phones that never need to be charged and drones that can fly forever. Photo: Betavolt.tech ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Chinese startup claims to have developed a new battery that could power smartphones for 50 years without the need for charging. Beijing-based Betavolt said its nuclear battery is the first in the world to realise...

A team from the University of Liverpool has developed a new solid lithium-ion conductor that could replace liquid electrolytes in batteries, enhancing safety and efficiency. This discovery, facilitated by AI and interdisciplinary collaboration, paves the way for further advancements in sustainable energy storage solutions. Image represents the lithium ions (in blue) moving through the structure. Credit: University of Liverpool ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Researchers at the University of Liverpool have identified a novel solid substance capable of swiftly conducting lithium ions. A major challenge in the field of materials science involves developing and identifying novel materials that contribute towards achieving global objectives, including...