Nanotube Tech Claiming 620-Mile BEV Range Potential
A breakthrough in battery technology is claiming a mass market BEV could soon achieve a range of more than 620 miles on a single charge.
Electronics company Nawa Technologies says its nano-based Ultra Fast Carbon Electrode came overcome current limitations in battery power, energy and lifecycle owing to the design and material used for the electrode. Current battery technology is based on powders, with electrodes hampered by low electrical, thermal and ionic conductivity, along with poor mechanical behavior when discharged and recharged. This results in early delamination and degradation leading to problems with overheating, explosion and reducing the battery’s lifecycle.
The company claims its vertically-aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) design, also the basis of its next-generation ultracapacitors, combines high ionic conductivity, thanks to a 3D fully accessible nanostructure, with the high electrical and thermal conductivity, provided by its arrangement of 100 billion nanotubes per square centimeter, all vertically aligned. It claims this boosts battery power by a factor 10, increases energy storage by up to three times, extends lifecycle by up to five fold and reduces charging time down to minutes instead of hours while cutting manufacturing costs by 25%.
On top of the performance, the manufacturer says its technology is also much more environmentally friendly being easily recyclable and eco-disposable at the end of its long lifecycle. As a result, it estimates that by using an Ultra Fast Carbon Electrode in a lithium battery cell, the CO2 footprint could be reduced by as much as 60%, simply because less active material is required.
Nawa founder, Pascal Boulanger, said: “Since the beginning of the battery industry, most performance increases have come from materials but it has reached a plateau today. Combine abundant carbon with nanoscale electrode architecture advances and you have a game-changer. NAWA’s Ultra Fast Carbon Electrode brings a step change in electrode design and performance thanks to our vertically aligned carbon nanotube technology. Offering huge increases in power, energy storage and lifecycle, as well as being clean and cost-effective, the potential is enormous.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
