FINALLY some great progress in EV electric vehicle battery technology! Ion exchange and the Periodic Chart are such a limiting hassle!
A company called Nyobolt, exclusively licensing technology from the University of Cambridge (the “other” Cambridge), assembled a global team of over 100 experts across materials, cells, and battery packs with decades of experience from Tesla, Lotus, Samsung, Dupont, Dyson, General Electric, A123, Innovate UK, and Arthur D. Little.
Nyobolt secured $10 million in Series A funding to build pilot facilities and grow its engineering and application capabilities, and has developed proprietary anode materials, battery management systems, and cell designs optimized for fast Li+ transport with long life.
It’s been a long battery journey.
The Baghdad Battery (200 BC), the earliest known battery (a clay jar with a copper cylinder and an iron rod), the 1800 Alessandro Volta’s Voltaic Pile, the Daniell Cell (1836), the Grove Cell (1839), platinum and zinc in sulfuric acid and nitric acid, the Leclanché Cell (1866), manganese dioxide and zinc, the early automobile Lead-Acid Battery (1859) by Gaston Planté, the Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) Battery (1899), Waldemar Jungner’s NiCd battery, the Alkaline Battery (1950s) with longer shelf life, Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) Battery (1989), fewer environmental issues than cadmium, Lithium-Ion Battery (1991) made famous by Sony for the nascent portable electronic industry (hear “Walkman”), Solid-State Batteries, promising higher energy densities and safety by using solid electrolytes instead of liquid ones, Lithium-Sulfur and Lithium-Air Batteries, a promising next potential leap in battery technology.
Now, Nyobolt’s new niobium-based electric vehicle (EV) batteries are Ultra-Fast Charging, full charges in 6 minutes for some models (instead of partial charges in 30-45 minutes, or 8 hours at home) with today’s EV’s.
Nyobolt’s technology (may) have a high cycle life, enough to handle over 10,000 cycles without significant degradation, reducing the frequency of battery replacements, and thus less disposal and environmental impact.
Niobium is a scarce material. This could pose challenges for scaling up production to meet mass-market demands. The cost and supply chain issues associated with niobium could impact the feasibility and affordability of widespread adoption.
The new batteries can be charged using current 350kW DC fast chargers, meaning that Nyobolt’s technology won’t require a complete overhaul of the existing charging infrastructure. And, thinking ahead, Nyobolt’s technology is positioned to work with even higher power 500kW charging stations in the future.
So, maybe some good news. It doesn’t eliminate the need for the 85% coal-powered charging stations, but it’s a start.
And, perhaps the fast recharge opens the door for a Directed Energy application.
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