American Scientists Make Great Leap in Battery Technology

One of the primary concerns with owning an electric vehicle is cost of the battery, the range it offers, and the time it takes to recharge. Those concerns will be significantly lessoned with the development of a new lithium-ion battery. Designed by scientists at Envia Systems, a US-based company, the new battery has roughly twice the energy density of existing rechargeable batteries. Such an innovation could greatly increase the range of electric cars as well as cut the price of the battery packs in half.  The new battery can achieve an energy density of 400 watt-hours per kilogram, double that of existing rechargeable batteries. The key was introducing manganese into the mix of materials used in the cathode, the electrode where the lithium ions congregate. Then, they added silicon to the anode, the electrode toward which the ions flow, producing the electric current. The costs of the batteries are cheaper per kilowatt-hour than standard lithium ion batteries. At $125 per kwh, they are less than half the cost. I found this interesting and if the other team would have found out about this in our debate they would have beaten us easily.