According to foreign media reports, in order to better realize the electric future, on June 10 local time, advanced battery materials company NanoGraf announced that it has produced the world's highest energy density 18650 cylindrical lithium-ion battery, which can extend the running time by 28% compared with batteries made of traditional battery chemistry.
With the support of the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies, NanoGraf's team of scientists, technicians, and engineers has released a silicon anode battery with an energy density of 800 Wh/L, which could provide significant benefits for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and equipment used by soldiers in combat.
Dr. Kurt (Chip) Breitenkamp, President of NanoGraf, said: “This is a breakthrough for the battery industry. Battery energy density has now stabilized, growing by only about 8% in the past 10 years, while we have achieved 10% growth in less than a year. This is an innovation that has taken more than 10 years to achieve.”
Range anxiety is a major obstacle to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, while one of the biggest opportunities lies in providing batteries with higher energy density. NanoGraf's new battery technology can immediately help electric vehicles; for example, compared to similar current vehicles, the Tesla Model S could have approximately 28% longer range using NanoGraf batteries.
Beyond commercial applications, NanoGraf batteries can significantly improve the performance of military electronic equipment carried by soldiers. U.S. soldiers often carry over 20 pounds of lithium-ion batteries on patrol, typically second only to their body armor in weight. NanoGraf batteries can extend the operational time of this equipment and reduce battery pack weight by more than 15%.
Previously, the company had experienced a period of rapid growth. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded NanoGraf $1.65 million to develop longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries to power U.S. military equipment. In 2019, Ford, General Motors, and FCA (manufacturers of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Fiat brands) formed the U.S. Council for Automotive Research and provided the company with $7.5 million for electric vehicle battery research and development.
