Planetary Gear

Battery material made by Gerbrand Ceder and Byoungwoo Kang could lead to quicker charging portable devices.

(Credit: Donna Coveney/MIT)

Engineers at MIT have made a breakthrough that could translate into smaller, lighter, and faster-charging lithium ion batteries, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced Wednesday.

Gerbrand Ceder, the Richard P. Simmons Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT; aided by Byoungwoo Kang, a graduate student in materials science and engineering, have made a small battery that can be fully charged or discharged in 10 to 20 seconds.

A detailed explanation on how they did this has been published in the March 12 issue of Nature, but here is a brief recap of what they essentially accomplished.

While lithium ion batteries have high energy densities, they are also known for their inability to gain and discharge energy quickly. That is why it commonly takes hours to recharge the battery on a plug-in electric vehicle.

Electric vehicle proponents have been struggling with this battery issue, some coming up with clever ways around it. Better Place, for example, came up with the idea of drivers saving time by swapping-out discharged car batteries for fully charged ones at electric vehicle stations.

Ceder and Kang experimented with the way lithium ions move in and around lithium iron phosphate, a material commonly used in lithium ion batteries. They worked with it to develop a new surface structure that gets ions to move more quickly from one place to another. They compare their project to building a beltway that goes around a city to avoid traffic, but has tunnels that let you drop in to exactly where you need to be.

"The ability to charge and discharge batteries in a matter of seconds rather than hours may open up new technological applications and induce lifestyle changes," according to Ceder and Kang's paper in Nature.

In addition to being significantly faster, batteries made with their material degraded much less than usual lithium ion batteries after repeated discharges and recharges during testing. Because of that, they believe their batteries could be made with less material making them lighter and smaller.

Because their invention is not a completely new material, but rather a change to the way it's structured, the researchers said in a statement that their material could be implemented into commercial batteries within 2 to 3 years.

General Motors has decided to manufacture its own battery packs for its new electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt.

"GM is getting back in the battery business," CEO Rick Wagoner announced Monday.

The company also announced Monday that it has chosen LG Chem to provide the lithium-ion cells for the battery packs GM plans to manufacture.

GM announced in September that it had chosen a battery supplier, but would not reveal which company that was. LG Chem and A123Systems have long been involved in the development of the lithium-ion cells for the Volt's E-Flex electric drive train. While some speculated on other companies getting the contract, it should be no surprise that one of the developers was chosen to be the supplier.

Monday's announcement follows mixed December news on the Chevy Volt's progress. It was reported that because of the financial crisis facing the company, the plant for the Chevy Volt engine may be put on hold. GM followed that news up with an announcement that bringing the Volt to market is one of the company's highest priorities.

GM's Chevy Volt.

(Credit: GM)

Batteries have long been the technological hurdle in developing electric cars, the major showpieces for many car companies at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Initially, GM had planned to purchase the battery packs--as well as the cells--from an outside supplier, but eventually it "decided that strategically it's in the company's best interest to move into the pack business," said Bob Kruse, GM's executive director of North American Engineering Operations.

The planned plant will manufacture the T-shaped battery packs for the Chevy Volt, which GM plans to make available by the end of next year. The Volt runs on batteries for 40 miles and then an on-board internal combustion engine runs a generator to recharge the batteries.

GM also tested batteries from A123 Systems, which lost out to LG Chem as a supplier. Kruse said that A123 Systems is in consideration for future work.

Construction of the plant is contingent on GM receiving tax incentives from the state of Michigan to build the facility, Kruse said. Right now, most battery production is done in Asia.

"I think there's an opportunity to create a supply base here in the U.S. but it's going to require some government leadership to say this is strategic," he said.

In tandem with the announcement, GM has also signed a deal with the University of Michigan to open a battery lab in the state. It will be the largest battery lab in the U.S, according to GM.

Automakers are able to work on low volumes of electric cars, but the industry lacks enough skilled personnel to manufacture on a large scale, said Anne Marie Sastry, a professor at the University of Michigan.

CNET News' Martin LaMonica contributed to this report.

The Better Place Rogue is an all-electric version of the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV.

(Credit: Better Place)

Hawaii has decided to partner with Better Place to bring car battery exchange stations for electric vehicles to the islands, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle announced Tuesday.

Better Place stations, similar in concept to gas stations, offer drivers with electric vehicles an automated system that swaps out exhausted lithium ion car batteries for fully-charged ones. The swapping system is intended to be convenient for both drivers and local electric companies, since Better Place can recharge the exhausted batteries with excess electricity generated from renewable sources during off-peak electricity hours.

Lingle said the project is an example of Hawaii's efforts to gain independence from foreign oil, and to stimulate its economy through investment in energy technology.

Not surprising due to its geography, Hawaii spends about $7 billion a year on oil imports with its drivers facing some of the toughest prices at the pump in the U.S. The plan to implement Better Place stations coincides with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) intended to change that. Signed in January, it sets Hawaii's renewable energy bar at 70 percent clean energy by 2030, as well as encouraging programs that foster local economic growth.

Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place, was also on hand at the plan unveiling in Hawaii on December 2. According to Agassi, Hawaii is the second state in the U.S., and the fifth place in the world, to adopt the Better Place electric-car infrastructure. Better Place stations have already been implemented in Denmark and Israel, with Australia and California recently announcing intentions to add them.

"Hawaii, with its ready access to renewable energy resources like solar, wind, wave, and geothermal, is the ideal location to serve as a blueprint for the rest of the U.S. in terms of reducing our dependence on foreign oil, growing our renewable energy portfolio and creating an infrastructure that will stabilize our economy," Agassi said in a statement to the press.

Hawaii Electric is also onboard. The state's electric utility signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Better Place which plans to power its public charging and battery-swapping stations with renewable energy resources.

According to the plan, Better Place will pull permits for its stations in 2009, offer electric cars within 18 months, and make both available for the mass-market in Hawaii by 2012.

Better Place has said it's in talks with major automakers and would like to offer swappable batteries for any electric vehicle regardless of which company makes the car. But right now the company's stations only service two electric vehicles: the Renault Megane and the Better Place Rogue, an electric vehicle based on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV.

Hawaii's plan with Better Place is to install about 20 electric battery-swapping stations across its islands.

(Credit: Better Place)