EU-funded project develops improved Lithium-ion for electric cars

An EU-funded project has developed innovative components, chemical technologies and manufacturing processes for cheaper, more-dependable and greener Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, the European Commission said Thursday.

The breakthroughs promise to boost competitiveness among European battery and electric vehicle manufacturers, it added.

Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries have sparked the attention of electric vehicle manufacturers ever since they first came on the market in the early 1990s. Among their advantages are a shorter charge-time and a higher energy-storage capacity than other types of rechargeables, such as nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Powering a car longer between charges gives Li-ion batteries a competitive edge, but manufacturers still need to overcome some barriers to their wider use. Current Li-ion battery technology can short-circuit, while faults in materials can lead to the occasional fire.

Moreover, Li-ions are also relatively more expensive to make.

The EU-funded project Greenlion seeks to address these barriers with new components, chemical technologies and manufacturing processes to produce cheaper, more-dependable and greener Li-ion batteries for electric cars.

A few breakthroughs had been reached. The project tested new types of battery electrodes with promising results, created a compact, modular design for powering vehicles, and developed cheaper manufacturing processes.

These breakthroughs also have the potential to help manufacturers become greener, cut assembly time and make it easier to recycle parts when the battery is no longer usable, said project coordinator Iosu Cendoya of Spain's Fundacion Cidetec.

The innovations, including component development and the automation of manufacturing processes, would cut costs by 15 percent for a whole battery pack, he added.

"Altogether, these improvements will allow higher energy efficiency and substantial cost reductions, thus ensuring real competitiveness for lithium-ion batteries based on new technologies," said Cendoya.