Battery experts are using an interesting tactic in the effort to develop a better power pack. Instead of shunning graphite, as others have, they are reinventing how it's configured, according to a news release from the University of Waterloo lab in Canada.
And the result has a clear benefit for electric vehicle drivers: a zero-to-80% charge in 15 minutes, per the experts.
As part of the work, scientists fused graphite material together in a novel approach to form an anode, which they reported improves conductivity. Graphite is a crucial, effective battery substance subject to sometimes troublesome foreign supply chains.
China harvests about 70% of the worldwide supply, with control of nearly all of the refining process, S&P Global reported. That's partly why battery experts at Panasonic and elsewhere are experimenting with more common silicon as a replacement, with potential to also boost performance.
By rethinking how to form the graphite anode, the Waterloo team says it has invented one that's safe, doesn't degrade quickly, and can handle a fast charge. What's more, it can easily be included in existing battery production lines. When batteries operate, ions travel between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte.
"We're not reinventing the wheel in terms of materials in lithium-ion batteries. We're just finding a better way to arrange the particles and providing new functions to the binders that hold them together such as state-of-the-art electron, ion, and heat transfer properties," Professor Michael Pope said in the lab summary.
The Waterloo team touted the 15-minute charge time as a clear advantage to common packs on the market that can take an hour or longer to repower. Charge speeds often depend on the mechanism, but standard home outlets typically require overnight charging. Tesla's network of more than 60,000 Superchargers, located around the world, can now provide 200 miles of range in a quarter of an hour, per the company.
The Waterloo pack can also ably operate for up to 800 cycles. The collection of perks are important to ease motorist range and cost anxiety, the researchers stated.
"We need to make EVs more affordable and accessible, not just for the wealthy," Professor Yverick Rangom said. "If we can make batteries smaller, charge faster, and last longer, we reduce the overall cost of the vehicle. That makes EVs a viable option for more people."
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Most of the concerns are already receding. The Ford Mustang Mach E recently set a range record at 569.64 miles on a single charge. U.S. News & World Report listed some of the cheapest models available, including the Nissan Leaf, starting at around $30,000. Ford is even paying for charge tech to be installed at the buyer's home.
Valuable tax breaks of up to $7,500 remain available for certain models, as well. That's in addition to recurring gas and maintenance savings worth up to $1,500 per year.
Perhaps the biggest win to thriving EV adoption is reducing heat-trapping air pollution, linked by NASA to a greater risk for a troubling list of severe weather events. Each EV that replaces a gas-burner prevents thousands of pounds of planet-warming fumes each year, per government data.
Graphite has been a key part of the batteries powering most EVs so far. And for their part, Waterloo's experts plan to keep the valuable material relevant.
"We're focused on ensuring this solution is not only effective, but scalable," Rangom said in the summary.
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