Prateek
After the launch of the new Bajaj Chetak Electric scooter, the charging time of the scooter came as a big NO-NO to some users. The lithium-ion battery which is being used in these electric vehicles required a few hours to be fully charged and then give you an average range of 160-200kms.
Also Read: Electric Or Petrol: Which Scooter To Buy? Comparison, Pros & Cons And Everything You Need To Know!
To eradicate this issue scientists have been working to find alternatives to these lithium-ion batteries. Some are working to improve existing technology.
A study in the journal 'Joule' talks about how a new Li-ion battery can give the electric vehicles a charge which will be equal to 200 miles and that too in just 10 minutes.
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University developed this technique where the Li-ion battery will make use of elevated temperature to speed the reaction rate and quickly charge the battery.
This can be troublesome as higher temperatures will degrade the battery life.
Chao-Yang Wang, a mechanical engineer at The Pennsylvania State University said
“In addition to fast charging, this design allows us to limit the battery’s exposure time to the elevated charge temperature, thus generating a very long cycle life,”
“In the past, it was universally believed that lithium-ion batteries should avoid operating at high temperatures due to the concern of an accelerated side reaction.”
The initial tests have been a success and now Wang's team is now planning to take a huge step by trying to find a method to charge a battery in 5 minutes.
Let's see what the future brings.
