This photo taken on July 3, 2017, shows state power provider KEPCO’s charging station for electric vehicles in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean researchers have developed a new electric vehicle (EV) battery that enables an EV to travel approximately 1,000 kilometers on a single charge.
A joint research team from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology announced said it had resolved the issue of deteriorating battery life with lithium air batteries by replacing organic materials located within the battery with ceramics.
Lithium air batteries are capable of storing 10 times more energy than lithium-ion batteries and other commercial batteries currently used for electric vehicles.
They use air as electrodes, ensuring lighter weight than lithium-ion batteries that use metal as electrodes.
The team resolved the issue of reactive oxygen species produced during battery operation that has been undermining battery life.
Striking improvements in battery life were made possible by replacing organic materials located within the battery with new high-functioning ceramic materials created with quantum mechanical modeling using a supercomputer.
With the new improvement, the new lithium air batteries can be charged more than 100 times. Previously, battery life was limited to 10 charges.
The new ceramic materials, known as mixed ionic-electronic conductors, are capable of conducting both lithium ions and electrons, and can replace the electrolytes and conductive additives inside the battery.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
