Rubber Electrolytes-based Batteries and Electric Vehicles

In most lithium-ion batteries, ions are moved by a liquid electrolyte. However, a slight damage of the battery may cause leakage of electrolyte, causing explosion or fire. Thus, people are looking into alternatives such as solid-state batteries, which can be made using inorganic ceramic material or organic polymers. Elastomers, or synthetic rubbers have superior mechanical properties. It has been found that this material when formulated into a 3D structure, acted as a superhighway for fast lithium-ion transport with superior mechanical toughness, resulting in longer charging batteries that can go farther. A team made of scientist from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Georgia Institute of Technology is working on the rubber battery development. (1) 

 According to Reference 1, this rubber electrolyte is made during a simple polymerization process at low temperatures, this process generates robust and smooth interfaces on the surface of electrodes. These unique characteristics of the rubber electrolytes prevent lithium dendrite growth but allow a faster moving ions! 

 According to Reference 2, The rubber electrolyte-based lithium metal batteries allow high energy density exceeding 410 Watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kgelectrode+electrolyte) and maintained a high energy density of 235 Wh/kgelectrode+electrolyte at a power density of 184 Wh/kgelectrode+electrolyte. Thus, electric vehicles equipped with the rubber electrolytes-based Li batteries can travel over 490 miles on a single charge, while that with conventional Li-ion batteries can do only 310 miles.

Scientists from Georgia Tech; Photo: Georgia Tech 

Reference:

Rubber material holds key to long-lasting, safer EV batteries (techxplore.com)

A Battery Breakthrough, Made from Rubber - Tech Briefs

 References (1) https://techxplore.com/news/2022-01-rubber-material-key-long-lasting-safer.html (2) https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/40658

Tesla's Batteries

What is the most expensive part in an electric vehicle? Semiconductors, since we are in shortage of semiconductors. Probably not, I heard it is the battery. A Finnish man bought his Tesla in 2013, and now, mechanics said he’d need the “whole battery cell” replaced, at a price of 20,000 euros, or about $23,900. (1) 

 Tesla has signed an agreement last month with Australia's Syrah Resources, which operates one of the world’s largest graphite mines in the southern African country. It's a unique partnership between an electric vehicle manufacturer and a producer of the mineral that is critical for lithium-ion batteries, according to the news that I read. Tesla will buy the material processed from its plant in Vidalia, Louisiana, and it sources graphite from its mine in Balama, Mozambique. Tesla plans to buy up 80% of what the plant produces about 8,000 tons of graphite annually — starting in 2025. Syrah must prove the material based on Tesla’s standards. (2) 

 According to other sources, Tesla is changing the battery cell chemistry that it uses in its standard range vehicles. As mentioned above, the new batteries will use a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry rather than nickel-cobalt-aluminum which Tesla will continue to use in its longer-range vehicles. The move is likely a way for Tesla to increase profit margins on its cars, while not necessarily having to raise prices. In fact, Tesla is already making vehicles with LFP chemistry at its factory in Shanghai, and the top producers of these types of battery cells are CATL and BYD. Tesla is already procuring batteries from CATL, Tesla sells those cars in China, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. (3) 

New 4680 Battery has a much longer driving range:

 1. https://nypost.com/2021/12/24/tesla-explodes-after-mechanics-charge-man-23k-for-new-battery/ 2. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tesla-inks-deal-to-get-key-battery-component-outside-china/ar-AASPwKE?ocid=BingNewsSearch 3. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/20/tesla-switching-to-lfp-batteries-in-all-standard-range-cars.html