The battery is the very heart of the electric car. In recent years, the lithium-ion battery has become the reference technology. How does it work? What are its pros and cons? Are there greener alternatives? Find out everything you need to know about it.
How does a lithium ion battery work
When it hit the market in 1991, the lithium-ion battery was first intended for the consumer electronics sector: telephones, computers... But quickly, it became popular among all devices that needed a rechargeable and portable battery, including The electric car.
Batteries are devices that transform chemical energy into electrical energy. They store it, accumulate it and then return it.
In a lithium-ion battery, electrons flow by creating a potential difference between two electrodes (one positive and one negative), immersed in an ion-conducting liquid.
When the battery powers a device, like your electric car, the electrons accumulated in the negative electrode are released to join the positive electrode: this is called the discharge phase. When your battery is charging, the opposite happens: the energy transmitted by the charger allows electrons to return to the negative electrode.
The advantages of the lithium battery
Why is the lithium ion battery used for electric vehicles? Its advantages are multiple.
The lithium ion battery has a long battery life: it can store an incredible amount of energy in a small box.
Thanks to its high energy density: it can store 3 to 4 times more energy per unit mass than other types of batteries. It also recharges very quickly and can withstand numerous cycles (at least 500 charge-discharges at 100%).
Lithium-ion Technology: Two Major Drawbacks
On the other hand, professionals agree on two major drawbacks in the use of lithium ion batteries. In fact, they present a risk of ignition, with the release of toxic gases. This heating would most often come from a short circuit caused by assembly problems or shocks. To counter this phenomenon, manufacturers have implemented more advanced manufacturing processes. They also incorporate an electronic system into the battery to cut off the power as soon as an anomaly is detected.
Another known disadvantage of lithium ion batteries is the environmental problems caused by lithium extraction. Very water-intensive, it leads in particular to soil pollution and the plunder of water supplies.
Lithium batteries of the future: more ecological?
The popularization of electric cars is pushing manufacturers to develop ever more efficient, but also ecological batteries. Thus, the lithium battery of the future promises to be the most ecological in the world, with a minimum CO2 footprint and an exceptional recycling rate.
These batteries are expected to last more than 1.6 million kilometers, but also require much less cobalt than current lithium ion batteries. Reducing the use of this extremely expensive metal also means significantly reducing the cost of electric cars, bringing it almost to the level of current lithium-ion gasoline-powered vehicles. Reducing the use of this extremely expensive metal also means significantly reducing the cost of electric cars, bringing it almost to the level of gasoline-powered vehicles. The lithium battery of tomorrow therefore has every chance of continuing to popularize electric vehicles.
Sources: Renault, Caroom, Total, Apple, Balance of energies, .
