This photo taken on July 3, 2017, shows state power provider KEPCO’s charging station for electric vehicles in Seoul. (Yonhap)
ULSAN, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — New electric battery technology developed by South Korean researchers will enable electric vehicles (EVs) to travel up to 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 Wednesday that it had succeeded in developing ceramic-based lithium air batteries that do not suffer from the issue of undermined battery lifespan.
The team claimed that the new lithium air battery is capable of storing 10 times more energy than lithium ion batteries used in various electronic devices and EVs.
In addition, since they use air as electrodes, lithium air batteries are lighter than lithium ion batteries, boosting their prospects of becoming the next-generation battery for light EV cars capable of travelling long distances.
However, lithium air batteries have been facing a chronic issue of reactive oxygen species caused during battery use that undermines the battery’s lifespan.
In response, the research team succeeded in improving the lifespan of lithium air batteries by replacing organic substances inside the battery with high-performance ceramic material, ensuring more than 100 recharge cycles.
Normally, ceramic substances are only conductive to ions. However, the ceramic material developed by the research team is also electrically conductive, allowing it to be used in various parts of the battery.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
