Chinese lithium battery electrolyte could double EV range and run in extreme cold

he new electrolyte could pave the way for lithium batteries that work better in a range of conditions, including the batteries that power electric vehicles.

Photo: Xinhua Chinese scientists have created an all-weather electrolyte that could improve lithium batteries, allowing them to operate more efficiently at room temperature and in extreme environments.

The research team from Shanghai and Tianjin said batteries made using the hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte had more than double the energy density of those made with traditional electrolytes when operating at room temperature.

They said the batteries could also operate efficiently at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit).

The development paves the way for longer-lasting lithium batteries that are better adapted to a wide range of operating temperatures and conditions – from powering electric vehicles across climates to operating in space.

Reporting their findings in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature last month, the team said hydrofluorocarbon electrolytes offered a “promising pathway to break the power and energy density ceiling of batteries”. “For the same mass of lithium battery, the room temperature energy storage capacity is increased by two to three times,” said study author Li Yong, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Space Power-Sources (SISP).

This could increase the range of electric vehicles from 500-600km (310-372 miles) to 1,000km (621 miles), Li told official ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily on March 19.

It could also improve the performance of mobile phones, drones, robots and spacecraft in extremely cold environments, according to the report.

The scientists said batteries made using their electrolyte had more than double the energy density of those made with traditional electrolytes when operating at room temperature.

Photo: Handout Electrolytes are chemical media that enable the transport of ions between the positive and negative electrodes in a battery.

For the past few decades, conventional lithium-based battery electrolytes have mainly been composed of oxygen and nitrogen-based compounds due to their effectiveness in dissolving lithium salts, the team said.

However, these electrolytes have limited charge transfer capabilities, leading to challenges in fast charging or low-temperature performance that limit efficiency and can lead to safety concerns.

The researchers from Nankai University and SISP – which is affili

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