Will Lithium-Air Battery Rescue Electric Car Drivers From 'Range Anxiety'?

[atlaw4u]

"Nickel-metal hydride's an adult. Lithium-ion is a developing adolescent. And lithium-air, we're just looking at the ultrasounds,"

Saqib Rahim - NYTIMES - May 7, 2010

Twenty miles southwest of Chicago, government researchers are pursuing the automotive version of Mr. Right.

He's powerful. He has endurance. He isn't too expensive to have around. And he never, ever explodes.

That's one way to think of the perfect car battery, which will have to balance many different factors to lure the American masses to the electric car.

For the moment, though, Mr. Right is just a set of equations in a notebook.

"Theoretically, it works on paper," said Don Hillebrand, who directs the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne National Laboratory... [Read More]

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Lithium-air batteries certainly look to be a feasible technology in its infancy. I hope it... or something like it makes it into widespread use!

Meanwhile, I'll be able to deal with the lower density LiFePo4 chemistry just fine, thanks.

[fuzzy]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about whether the lithium-air chemistry under consideration is rechargeable, or primary (non-rechargeable).

Several metal-air chemistries, including zinc and aluminum, are theoretically interesting. Energizer has scaled primary zinc-air up from the traditional hearing aid buttons to AA-like capacity, and Re-Volt is trying to commercialize rechargeable zinc-air. But I haven't heard about any progress for some time.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Hi, Fuzzy -- the lithium-air batteries are designed to be rechargeable.

[xcel]

Hi Fuzzy:

While there is a lot of drawing board like stuff, unfortunately, we are stuck in the here and now for the next decade or so which means Li-Ion of all types. A123 Systems is showing their new Nanophosphate from cells with almost double the Power and another 50% more Energy density than the originals so maybe that will be the answer until the revolutionary tech comes to market in a decade plus? The Korean’s are going Gaga over LiPO so maybe that will be the next hot ticket until Zinc-Air, Li-Air or even a Pb-Acid foam (I forgot the name of that stuff???) offshoot grabs the headlines.

Good Luck

Wayne