It may be another 10 years before lithium metal batteries achieve their potential and provide a more efficient alternative to lithium-ion, said Paul Albertus and Sue Babinec from the US Department of Energy's ARPA-E programme. Lithium metal would replace graphite as the negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries. The researchers say that they have found ways around some of these problems. The DOE aims to find energy storage options for electric-vehicle battery packs at 235 Wh per kg. Lithium metal batteries could deliver 350-400 watt-hours per kilogram compared with about 150 Wh for current lithium-ion battery packs.
It may be another 10 years before lithium metal batteries achieve their potential and provide a more efficient alternative to lithium-ion, said Paul Albertus and Sue Babinec from the US Department of Energy's ARPA-E programme. Lithium metal would replace graphite as the negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries. However, scientists have been working on the lithium metal electrode since the 1960s, with a breakthrough hard to achieve. The DOE aims to find energy storage options for electric-vehicle battery packs at 235 Wh per kg. Lithium metal batteries could deliver 350-400 watt-hours per kilogram compared with about 150 Wh for current lithium-ion battery packs.