lithium-ion
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Apple's lithium-polymer battery purchases hindering other manufacturers
Apple supposedly has a lock on the touch panel market, and now it seems the Cupertino company is doing the same thing in the Lithium-polymer battery market. According to Digitimes, Apple has bought up most of the available supply of Lithium-polymer batteries used in notebook computers and mobile devices. This is causing other manufacturers, like HP and Acer, to scramble to find new suppliers. Apple's stronghold on the market should have a limited effect on the bottom line of other hardware manufacturers as only a few models use this battery technology.The lithium-polymer battery is more expensive than traditional Lithium-ion batteries, and Apple is the only manufacturer that has adopted it throughout its product line.
Toshiba SCiB to be used in Mitsubishi i-MiEV, recharge to 80 percent in just 15 minutes
Toshiba's SCiB (Super Charge Ion Battery) technology has long been the source of great hope and anticipation in electronics circles, but it's never quite delivered the world-changing retail products that its marketing promised. Hoping to correct that in a big way, the company's now hooked up with Mitsubishi to distribute said fast-charging cells in the taxman-friendly i-MiEV (to be known as Mitsubishi i in the US) and its taxi variant, the MINICAB-MiEV. How fast-charging, you ask? We're told recharging will be done in 15 minutes for 80 percent, 10 minutes for 50 percent, and a mere 300 seconds for 25 percent. You'll need a CHAdeMO charger to achieve such rapid revitalization rates, but those stations are sprouting up across the US now. There are other favorable qualities to Toshiba's batteries, including "excellent charging and output" under very low temperatures, 2.5 times the number of charge / discharge cycles of regular lithium ion cells, and safer operation than most other alternatives. Check out the full PR after the break.
New 'semi-solid' battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas
Researchers at MIT reckon they've struck oil. In fact, you're looking at what they call "Cambridge crude" -- a substance that could halve the weight and cost of EV batteries and make them quicker to charge too. The black goo is packed with a high concentration of energy in the form of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. When separated by a filter, these particles function as mobile electrodes that can be pumped into and around a system before the energy is released. So instead of waiting up to 20 hours to juice your Nissan Leaf, you could potentially just pump this pre-charged substance into it -- rather like dirty old gas. Until now, no such "semi-solid flow cell" has been able to hold useful quantities of energy, but this stuff literally oozes with it. Not only could it power EVs, it could even be used for large-scale electricity storage for utilities. The researchers insist this energy revolution is years off -- but when it comes, there will be blood.
House passes bill protecting Apple, others from lithium batteries classification
The House approved legislation that would prevent the U.S. from enacting a proposed rule limiting lithium-ion battery shipments by classifying the batteries as hazardous materials. The legislation addresses a rule proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The PHMSA rule would cost companies including Apple an initial $1.3 billion to comply with new packaging, training and handling requirements designed to limit overheating and potential explosion of these batteries while in transit. This rule would apply to stand-alone batteries as well as those included in notebooks, mobile phones, and digital cameras. All this discussion stems from both explosions and fires caused by poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries in electronic devices. Apple experienced trouble in the past with the batteries in select iBook, PowerBook and MacBook Pro models. The battery problem was so pronounced in the PowerBook 5300 that it earned the nickname "Hindenbook". Since those rocky years in the early 2000s, Apple has spent much time and money improving and standardizing lithium battery technology. [Via AppleInsider]
Kia Naimo concept EV debuts: 93mph, 124-mile range, and suicide doors
Kia's really been cranking out the cute little concepts lately, and they unveiled another one today at the Seoul Motor Show. Dubbed the Naimo, this four suicide-door EV is trimmed to the nines with tech, including an "air wiper" -- a powerful air jet at the base of the windshield -- instead of regular squeegees, mini cameras in the A-pillar instead of sideview mirrors, and a transparent OLED instrument panel. Get up and go is provided by an 80kW motor and a 27 kWh Lithium ion polymer battery pack, a combo that hustles you up to 93mph and gets you 124 miles on a charge thanks to some fancy low-drag alloy dubs -- though we're pretty sure it can't do both at the same time. We like the looks of this slick little four-seater, but time will tell if the Naimo ever actually hits the streets. Check the gallery below, and press release after the break. %Gallery-120187%
American Prius V to get old-school batteries, Japanese version to get fancy Li-ion ones
We'd rather see a more interesting Prius before we see a bigger one, but it's the bigger one that comes first. The taller Prius V that was unveiled in Detroit is said to begin hitting Japanese showrooms next month, priced at ¥3 million (about $37,000) and packing an all-new Li-ion battery in the floor. This is different than the nickel metal hydride pack found in the current Prius, a smaller and lighter design that leaves room for a third row of seats. When the car hits the US, though, we'll get a bigger set of cells like the one in the current Prius, meaning the American version won't have those seats in the back. Irritating? A little, but the version we'll be getting will also be available in Japan, where it will sell for almost $10,000 less than the Li-ion version. For ten grand in savings we'd probably skip the rear seats too.
Flexible batteries get the graphene treatment, could be cheaper than other bendy batts
We've been talking about flexible batteries for years now, but a team of Korean researchers have presented a new solution to bendable energy sources that is not only more powerful than standard lithium-ion batteries, but also potentially cheaper to produce than its malleable predecessors -- and unsurprisingly, everyone's favorite wonder material, graphene, is at the heart of the innovation. The rechargeable battery contains a vanadium-oxide cathode, grown on a sheet of graphene paper, an unidentified separator, and an anode made of lithium-coated graphene. According to the folks behind the new power source, it sports higher energy and power density, as well as a better cycle life than the literally stiff competition. Similar advances have also out-performed rigid lithium-ion batteries, but have enlisted carbon nanotubes, a material more expensive to produce than graphene. Of course, like all technological advances, we won't be seeing these things for years, if not decades, so you might as well get used to ye olde standard bearer.
Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique
Some might think a ten-hour Macbook battery mighty fine, but we're happy to say that Cupertino's not quite satisfied. AppleInsider spotted a pair of Apple patent applications detailing a improved way of juicing up those lithium-polymer cells, which should greatly increase the number of recharge cycles they can endure -- or, optionally, allow Apple to use denser batteries that last longer on a charge. We'll break it down for you: the graph in the upper-left shows how Li-ion batteries currently charge, first very rapidly (constant current, increasing voltage) and then more slowly (constant voltage, decreasing current) to top the cells off. What Apple's proposing is the multi-step method depicted on the right, where current and voltage trade off, to charge the battery while being far less harsh on the physical chemistry of the electrodes inside. As you can see in the bottom graph, the multi-step CC-CV cells lose much less of their potential after 300 recharge cycles, but that's not all Apple's cooking up -- the company figures that it can increase the thickness of the electrodes to improve battery life (by as much as 28Wh/L, according to one chart) without negative effect thanks to the softer charge. Sure, we'd rather have plant-eating graphene supercapcitors, but this sounds like a plan for now.
GM sheds a little more light on next-gen Volts and next-gen battery packs
Being locked in a car with General Motors representatives for the better part of a day gave us plenty of time to talk about... well, just about everything. On the list of topics was discussions about what's next for the company in the Volt space. Back then they said there'd be more of the things coming, and now they're giving a little more information, confirming that a hatchback and crossover SUV will be similarly electrified sometime within the next three years. A little further down the road GM will roll out its next-generation battery technology, currently under development at Argonne National Laboratories. These mixed-metal oxide batteries add nickel and cobalt to the battery cathode mix, while the cells themselves remain lithium-ion. This is said to double capacity of any given battery, meaning the Volt could go just as far with half the weight. Or, you know, twice as far with the same weight. Isn't math fun? Update: Well, Autoweek is saying it's going to be a minivan, not a crossover -- though honestly there's not much difference there.
Silicon nanoscoops to combine Li-ion's energy with supercapacitor power, make your electric car go vroom
Look, we don't know much about "science." We know it's a controversial subject, and we always try to steer clear of that sort of hot-button-issue stuff. Still, "science" can do some good in the world, you know, now and then. Some "scientists" at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have happened upon a "strain-graded carbon-aluminum-silicon nan oscoop anode" (whatever that means) that basically combines the advantages of long-lasting Lithium-ion with a supercapacitor's rapid fire oomph -- a common theme, but undoubtedly a noble one. Specifically, Li-ion's superb (and ever-improving) Wh/kg and supercapacitor's great W/kg. Now, don't ask us how -- again, "science" -- but the upshot should be faster charging and better performing electric cars, that can still manage a good amount of mileage. Hopefully we get more spectacular exploding laptops as a side bonus.
Tesla assures $57k Model S will be profitable, sexy looking too
The path to availability for cars of the future is one wrought with roadblocks, potholes, and indeed IEDs -- increasingly expensive developments. This was most recently seen with Fisker's Karma getting a price boost up to $95,900, a hefty jump over initial $80,000 estimates, but Tesla is taking this chance to give new reassurances that its Model S sedan's price of $57,000 is comfortable. That's largely thanks to smaller Li-Ion batteries, which are similar to those used in laptops and, according to Musk, will be swappable as a single unit. This type of batteries are much less expensive to produce than the large, monolithic packs used in the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, about $200 per kWH vs. $750 for Nissan's. That's cheap enough for Tesla to assure that it can still make a profit on the Model S, despite its cost being set at roughly half that of the Roadster. Will that still be the case when it hits production in 2012? We can't wait to find out. Update: Defendor commented with a link to this CNET article in which Elon Musk indicates the battery pack will be swappable too. The post was updated to mention this.
Researchers find weak point in lithium-ion batteries, suggest better nanowires could be the answer
We've seen countless attempts to build a better lithium-ion battery, but there's been far fewer research efforts devoted solely to figuring out why lithium-ion batteries don't last longer. A team of scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been doing just that, however, and they're now sharing some of their findings. The main culprit, they say, are the nano-sized wires made of bulk tin oxide used in the batteries, which can expand and deform considerably over time, eventually rendering the battery useless. What's more, while the research was focused primarily on examining the cause of battery aging, the researchers do naturally have a few suggestions on how to improve them -- namely, to replace those wires made of bulk tin oxide with finer tin oxide nanowires. As lead scientist Chongmin Wang explains, that would effectively amount to winding together "thinner wires rather than making one thick rope," which is of course easier said than done. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Hybrid batteries tease big energy capacity while charging in seconds
Ioxus Inc. is an up and comer in the energy storage industry that has plans this Monday to announce a new hybrid storage device that it hopes will radically alter batteries used in the auto, medical, and consumer electronics industries. The teased product is said to be roughly the size of a typical C-cell battery and combines the fast charge / discharge benefits of ultracapacitors with the impressive energy-to-weight ratio of a lithium-ion electrode. As a result, Ioxus says the hybrid devices can store more than double the energy of traditional ultracapacitors and charge in a matter of seconds. The catch is that the hybrids have shorter life spans of 20,000 cycles compared to millions of cycles for typical ultracapacitors. We're also taking this with a grain of skepticism until these claims are proven in the field. Some brief digging though did unearth an article written by MIT researchers and published in Scientific American last year that discusses the possible benefits of supercharging lithium-ion cells -- which is encouraging. The first iteration could be used to power a host of devices like off-the-grid lighting or power tools. Use in larger systems like the regenerative breaks of electric cars however won't be possible until the second generation arrives -- which the CEO pegged as sometime in the first quarter of next year.
Li-ion Motors INIZIO: all-electric supercar hitting 170 mph next year, all yours for $139k
Tesla, schmesla. This, friends, is the electric vehicle that your garage has been waiting for. Designed by North Carolina's own Li-ion Motors, the downright stunning INIZIO is being hailed as the world's first all American-made electric supercar, and while the Roadster is definitely peppy, it ain't got nothing on this. Using the company's own lithium-ion battery technology and management system, the car can purportedly cruise for up to 250 miles on electricity alone, and it can hit a top speed of 170 miles per hour without breaking a sweat. Naturally, you won't (legally) fit more than two humans into this thing at once, but those two individuals will enjoy adjustable, leather / suede Recaro seating with heating and cooling features, an inbuilt 12-inch subwoofer, digital surround sound system, integrated navigation system, DVD player and rotational doors that raise on a 90-degree angle. Oh, and they'll probably drool a little after racing from zero to sixty in 3.4 face-numbing seconds. The company also adds that it emits no carbon emissions, can be recharged over 2,500 times and can go from drained to rejuvenated after just eight hours on the plug. It's expected to launch in mid-2011 with a starting price of $139,000, or just a few pennies more than the current value of the wretched Carolina Panthers franchise. Update: Just a heads-up before you throw down for a pre-order... you may not actually ever get your vehicle. Just another one to the list, really.
Sanyo's Eneloop Stick and Mobile Boosters will juice your gadgets on the go
Make no mistake, we're unabashed Eneloop rechargeable battery fanboys around here. How could we not be given our mobile lifestyle and obsessive need to keep all our toys juiced. As such, we're stoked by the announcement of a pair of Sanyo power packs: the Eneloop Mobile Booster (model KBC-L2BS) and Eneloop Stick Booster (KBC-D1BS). The Mobile Booster is a rechargeable slab of lithium-ion with a pair of built-in USB terminals (and microUSB adapter) capable of pushing a relatively hefty 1 Amp charge for about 2 hours (or 500mA for 4 hours if charging two device) to gear that requires that kind of suck... like the iPad. The battery pack can then be recharged over AC or a USB connection on your PC. The highly portable Stick Booster, meanwhile, ships with a pair of AA Eneloops -- so when the electrons cease to flow you can just swap out the dead batteries for a pair of fresh rechargeables. The Stick Booster is also an official Nintendo licensee so you can be sure that it'll charge your DSLite, DSi, or DSi LL (no mention of the 3DS). Look for these to ship October 21st in Japan.%Gallery-100758%
OSU Buckeye Bullet 2 sets new battery-powered speed record
Ohio State's Buckeye Bullet 2 has just set a new battery-powered vehicle record after hitting a speed of 291 mph averaged over two separate runs done back-to-back in opposite directions. Yes, it's technically slower than the two-way land speed record of 300.992 mph the original Bullet set back in 2009, but that car was powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This year's model instead was developed in partnership with boutique Monaco-based electric car manufacturer Venturi and replaced the fuel cells with lithium-ion batteries from A123 Systems. It's also apparently a testing prototype for a new car that's coming in 2011. Will that car hit these kind of world record speeds? Probably not, but we're not letting that dash our newly formed geek fantasy of seeing it drag against a Tesla.
Researchers make progress with better, safer aqueous lithium-ion batteries
Claims of better, safer lithium-ion batteries aren't exactly hard to find, but some researchers from Shanghai's Fudan University have now made some progress in an area that has previously proven to be particularly tricky for battery makers. They've managed to create an aqueous lithium-ion battery that substitutes most of the oxygen in the battery for water, which the researchers say not only makes them less flammable, but cheap to produce. As you might have guessed, that's been tried before, but previous attempts have only resulted in a battery that can hold 50 percent of its charge capacity after a hundred cycles -- these new batteries, on the other hand, hang on to 90 percent of their capacity after a thousand cycles. Unfortunately, the researchers still have a ways to go on increasing the actual capacities of the batteries, but they seem confident that they'll eventually be a viable alternative to traditional, more explosion-prone lithium-ion batteries.
Apple ordered to make public iPod nano battery fix in Japan
We had an eerie feeling it'd come to this, and come it has. Nearly two full years to the day after the government of Japan began a thorough investigation into the spontaneous combusting of iPod nano devices, that same entity is now mandating that Apple publish an "easy to understand" statement on the web that explains how customers can "receive replacement batteries and obtain advice." So far, these volatile Li-ion cells have been blamed for four cases of minor burns in the Land of the Rising Sun, and while Apple has been replacing first-generation iPod nano batteries since 2008 for those that complained, it seems that Japan wants the company to make the option readily apparent to consumers. Be sure to keep an eye on Apple's Japanese site for more, but as of now, we're not seeing any such PSA posted.
First look: Exogear ExoLife battery case for iPhone 4
One of the more eagerly anticipated accessories for just about any new phone is an extended-life battery case. One of the first out of the gate for the new iPhone 4 is the Exogear ExoLife rechargeable battery case (US$89.95). It's only available for pre-order at this time, but is expected to start shipping on July 30. The ExoLife has several features that should make iPhone 4 owners clamor for it -- a 1500-mAh Lithium-ion polymer battery that should be able to recharge the phone once, a hard polycarbonate shell to keep your baby from getting scratched and dented, a regular USB 2.0 to micro-USB cable for charging and syncing, and something called ExoClear technology to help you avoid the dreaded Grip of Death. The ExoLife also has a feature to turn off the battery when it's not being used, as well as a thin blue LED battery meter on the back. As you can see in the photo above, the case is relatively sleek as battery cases go, and looks pretty nice to me, although your personal preference may vary, of course. Exogear plans on having the black model seen above shipping by July 30th, and a white model will follow by September 30th. The ExoLife will be perfect for running TrailGuru on my iPhone 4 when I'm doing long hikes or bike rides, so I'll be anxious to see one soon.
Panasonic's 3.1Ah batteries to be used in the Tesla Model S, have highest energy density yet
Encouraging news for all you EV enthusiasts out there: Tesla's Model S appears to still be on track for its planned 2012 launch and will be using battery technology offering the highest energy density "in the world." Built in Panasonic's new fab in Suminoe, Japan, these 3.1Ah cells (you can just about see one of them being held by the two corporate types above) will be manufactured at a rate of more than 300 million per year. Considering each car would require a few more than 6,000 of them for its full energy storage, that means Tesla would be able to churn out about 48,000 Model S sedans per year. Then again, the company has only sold about 1,000 units of its Roadster so far, so we doubt it'll be pushing Panasonic's max production capacity any time soon. Still, good to know things are progressing in the right direction.
