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Topic: IBM

IBM electric vehicle battery project adds two materials partners

Summary: Asahi Kasei and Central Glass bring component-level expertise in membrane technology and electrolytes necessary for high-density batteries.

Heather Clancy

By for GreenTech Pastures |

Researchers from chemicals company Asahi Kasei and electrolytes expert Central Glass have joined IBM's Battery 500 project, the company's research initiative aiming to create an electric vehicle battery with a single-charge range of up to 500 miles.

Most electric vehicles are limited by the range of their lithium-ion batteries, most of which are limited to a range of 100 miles. The lithium-air technology being worked on by IBM would increase the density of batteries, but new materials are necessary to make them light enough and efficient enough for passenger vehicles.

Asahi Kasei's expertise in membrane technology is crucial to building a related component for its lithium-air batteries, according to IBM. Meanwhile, Central Glass will focus on developing a new class of electrolytes and additives for the emerging battery technology.

(Infographic courtesy of IBM)

Topics: IBM, Hardware

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  • Graphic is wrong.

    The 13,200 watt-hours per kilogram for gasoline is not theoretical, it's actual. You completely burn a gallon of gasoline (which is very easy to do), you'll get 13,200 watt-hours of energy. A typical IC engine runs at 20% efficiency (mostly because of EPA mandate pollution controls, prior to those, it ran at about 35% efficiency; yes, Virginia, EPA pollution controls reduce your gas mileage). That means useful work in a modern IC engine is 2640 watt-hours per kilogram. Still better than the best results of the LI-Air battery. Switch to Diesel (which is about 40% efficient), and you get about 5000 watt-hours per kilogram, or more than 2.5 times the efficiency of the Li-air battery. For one-tenth the cost. And without running into lithium shortages or dealing with the nasty toxic chemical required to manufacture the batteries.
    baggins_z
    Reply Vote

    • Ride the magic unicorn

      Please do not bring up systemic effects. Just as bacon originates in grocery stores, electricity emerges from walls, pollution-free.
      Robert Hahn
      Reply Vote
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