A polymer-based battery chemistry could enable electric vehicles (EVs) to keep working in freezing conditions, according to a study by Texas A&M University.
Extreme cold weather can prevent conventional lithium-ion EV batteries from charging or discharging: as the temperature falls, the liquid electrolyte thickens or freezes, blocking the flow of electricity.
Texas A&M University researchers have developed a battery that can maintain functionality in temperatures as low as –40°C. To achieve this, the liquid electrolyte was replaced with a diglyme-based low-temperate electrolyte; diglyme is a liquid organic compound with a very low freezing point, allowing the battery to remain fluid and maintain electrochemical activity even at very low temperatures.
The team also replaced the battery’s hard inorganic electrolyte materials, which are sluggish at low temperatures, with soft polymer materials. During testing, the battery was able to maintain 85% of its capacity at 0°C and 55% at ...