Though the oncoming advent of electric vehicles (EVs) is certainly exciting and promising in many respects, one recurring criticism of soon to be released models is their short range on a single charge (compared to a combustion vehicle on a single tank of gas). While some car makers boast models that are said to get a dozen or so miles more than the average EV, the generally accepted current range limit is around 100 miles on a single charge. Though this range is more than enough for 90% of the country’s daily drivers, it does pose limitations on the other 10% as well as those looking to go on road trips.
The limiting factor in the EV range equation is battery technology. The current lithium-ion batteries being used simply can not hold enough charge to take an EV further than ~100 miles. So making a battery with greater capacity is key to extending EVs’ ranges.
Big Blue Turning Green
IBM, better known for its accomplishments and research in the field of computing, has begun to pursue improvements in battery storage, technology, and materials aimed at making the current lithium batteries used in today’s EVs look like ancient relics. The company’s goal is to increase the storage capacity of current lithium-based batteries tenfold; giving the EV using it as its power supply a range equivalent to, or greater than, an extremely efficient gas-powered or hybrid vehicle.
Lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries are the types of batteries IBM researchers a will be focusing on mostly. Lithium-ion batteries only have the potential to deliver about 585 watt-hours of electricity per kilogram, while lithium-sulfur has a theoretical potential of about 2,600 watt-hours, and lithium-air batteries have been estimated to be able to achieve 5,000 watt-hours. Researchers working on lithium-air and lithium-sulfur alternatives claim that these types of batteries not only have the potential for much greater energy capacity, but the ability to better improve the market for solar-power-assisted cars as well.
While the potential for such batteries is great, so is the difficulty in developing them. Scientists at IBM list a range of hurdles that must be overcome like safety concerns and lowering the cost of the batteries, which currently constitute the bulk of an electric vehicle’s price. Also, final design batteries must go through rigorous testing and evaluation that often times adds a few more years to their release.
Executives at the company say it is unlikely it will enter into the battery business directly, but a partnership that would marry its hardware and systems design expertise with ultralight battery technology would definitely be a major goal. IBM aims to have its ’super battery’ by the end of the next decade.
The Good: If the people at IBM get their way, we may see battery powered cars with ranges further than today’s most efficient hybrids by the end of 2020.
The Bad: It’s bleeding edge technology which has not yet been tested or really developed for its intended applications. Cost, safety, and feasibility are still big question marks for this future battery technology.
The Bottom-Line: One of the biggest shortcomings of EVs is being addressed by a company who is no stranger to ambitious undertakings or technological advancements.
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