According to John Goodenough, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for creating the lithium-ion battery, the breakthrough is near: he has developed a new technology that can make the dream of a cheap and practical electric car come true.
The researcher and colleagues have developed sodium glass batteries that can store three times as much energy as lithium-ion batteries, and the time it takes to charge them can be measured “in minutes instead of hours,” added Maria Helena Braga, who contributed to the development.
The ultra-high energy density sodium glass battery works similarly to a high capacity capacitor, is safe, has a long life and does not require lithium to manufacture. This is a big deal because lithium is both toxic and causes serious environmental problems when it leaks into groundwater during mining, and it is scarce.
The development is not over yet, but the results so far are promising. Scientists leading the research are optimistic, but the development is left to battery manufacturers.
(Source: vezess.hu / photo: pixabay.com)