New technologies and trends in the field of batteries

Over the past decade, battery technology has made significant progress. The effort for sustainable development and the use of renewable resources has a great influence, the increasing number of electronic devices in each of us has a significant share. Claims for shorter charging time, higher energy capacity, longer range of electric cars, low weight and less burden on the environment - these are the main motivations for the development of new battery technologies.

AGM and EFB batteries

AGM and EFB batteries began to be installed in start-stop vehicles already before 2010. While EFB technology meant more or less only reinforced plates and a polyester mule (placed between the plate and the separator), the more durable AGM battery technology already has the electrolyte encased in a glass fleece. However, these batteries are increasingly used for leisure or in industry. Because they have less self-discharge and, in the case of traction batteries, they also have high cyclic resistance.

AGM batteries can also be used in vehicles with brake energy recovery (i.e. in hybrid vehicles with an electric drive).

Gel batteries

The technology of gel batteries consists in the fact that the electrolyte is bound in silicon gel. Thus, acid leakage from the battery is no longer possible. Gel batteries are mainly used for free time, also in industry, but mainly where the battery can only be placed on the side.

Lithium battery

Lithium batteries have seen perhaps the greatest progress in battery technology. The first lithium battery (commercial version) was produced by SONY as early as 1991. Especially in the last 10 years, lithium batteries have seen a huge development and started to be massively used in all possible electronic products. Thanks to their properties (longer service life, low weight, high energy capacity, high cycle resistance), lithium batteries gradually replaced "technologically obsolete" batteries, i.e. e.g. alkaline, ZnCl, ZnCx, NiCD, NiMH, etc.

However, lithium batteries, based on lithium ions, have several disadvantages, such as relatively high production costs, risk of fires and harmful impact on the environment. Thanks to this, new technologies are constantly being developed.

New LFP batteries and Li-ion batteries for electric cars

NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum) batteries, as well as Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries of the 1st generation, were mostly used for electric vehicles.

In the field of the automotive industry, great progress has been made in the development of a new LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery for electric cars. This battery no longer contains very expensive metals such as nickel, cobalt or manganese and is therefore cheaper. The first car brands to use these batteries include Tesla and Toyota; car companies KIA Corporation and Hyundai Motor Company are working intensively on the development of these batteries for electric cars. This year, the Ford Motor Company began installing the LFP battery in the Ford Explorer model.

Toyota is currently developing a new generation of Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) with a nickel cathode. The result should be a battery that will have a range of up to 1,100 km, and the expected charging time (from 10% to 80% battery capacity) should be 10 minutes. These batteries could appear in vehicles as early as 2027-2028.

Technology based on water electrons and stable radicals

The technology based on aqueous electrolytes and stable radicals is called the Aqueous Aluminum Radical Battery (AARB) and is the first of its kind in the world. AARB uses aqueous electrolytes instead of hazardous materials such as organic electrolytes or cobalt. The technology will be based on the stable radical TEMPO and aluminum triftate (AL(Oft)3). Thanks to this technology, the battery will be resistant to fires and stable in air, and this will increase the safety and sustainability of the battery. Thanks to the stable radicals used, which contain organic molecules, the batteries will have an even higher capacity, a longer life and will be more environmentally friendly. Another big advantage will be very fast charging. The battery will be able to be used mainly in the field of consumer electronics (mobile phones, laptops, ...), for solar systems. A big advantage in the case of use in electric cars will be mainly a very short battery charging time and a longer range.

Lithium-sulfur based technology

This technology (Li-S) is being developed by scientists in Australia. Relatively less lithium will be needed to make the battery. The battery will have a lithium foil anode coated with a "nanoporous polymer". The main advantage will be a lower price, higher energy capacity and longer service life. Usability will be in households, electromobility and mainly as storage for the energy of photovoltaic systems.

Titan Silicon technology

A new lithium battery technology is being developed in California. Graphite in lithium batteries will be replaced by up to 100% silicon, which can hold up to 10 times more energy. The battery will contain Titan Silicon material (a nanocomposite material). Thanks to this technology with nanocomposite materials, the range of the electric car will increase by up to 40% and the charging time will be reduced by