The silicon race is on.
Judging by recent news from ProLogium, it seems the Taiwan-based company may have jumped into the lead with what it said is the "world's first 100% silicon composite anode" for electric vehicle batteries.
The anode was showcased at an October trade show in Paris. It came with impressive billing, including providing a roughly 186-mile range on a five-minute charge, according to a company press release.
"Our new technology has broken through existing barriers," ProLogium Chief Scientist Dmitry Belov said in the report.
When batteries operate, ions move between the anode and cathode — the electrodes — through a substance called electrolyte, as described by the U.S. Energy Department. ProLogium made headlines last year with its ceramic solid-state, flat, and rectangular pack that provided a fast charge to 80% in 12 minutes. The performance is detailed in a company video clip.
Solid-state packs use hard electrolytes, which Top Speed reported are safer and charge faster than batteries with liquid versions. The publication also noted that affordable commercialized production has been a hurdle.
But ProLogium's message last year included updates on field testing and a multibillion-dollar production facility in France where the packs will be constructed.
A complete silicon anode has apparently improved the tech even more. Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, per the Royal Society of Chemistry. It is being eyed by Panasonic and others as a battery anode material, often in relief of graphite, which is more expensive and subject to foreign supply chains.
ProLogium worked with Germany's FEV Group to develop its novel version with the goal of expediting the transition to EVs, bolstering the value of used ones through better-performing power packs, per the company's news release.
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The ProLogium system is promising, in large part because it can cut vehicle weight by around 661 pounds, according to its release. It's all part of the company's "Small Battery, Big Future" concept.
"By combining ProLogium's visionary technology with FEV's engineering strengths, we are paving the way for the future of sustainable mobility," Thomas Hülshorst, FEV Global Vice President Electric Powertrain, said in the report.
Better batteries can help to make EVs more affordable. U.S. News & World Report lists some of the top models, including the Nissan Leaf that starts at around $30,000. Other brands cost beyond six figures. For reference, about one in five vehicles sold worldwide last year was an EV, according to the International Energy Agency.
Switching to an EV stateside is aided by valuable, still applicable tax credits of up to $7,500 for qualified models. Recurring gas and maintenance savings of up to $1,500 a year increase the benefits even more. Also, the move can cut thousands of pounds of heat-trapping, health-harming air pollution annually, according to government emissions and health data.
For its part, ProLogium seems poised to be part of the transition.
"Since 2023, we've consistently outperformed our competitors, with the gap only growing larger, in both energy density and in fast-charging performance," Belov said in the news release.
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