Tesla unveils battery that can last 100 years

Tesla’s Advanced Battery Research group which was established in 2016 in Canada teamed up with Jeff Dahn’s battery lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax and has come up with a new nickel-based battery that can potentially last up to a 100 years.

Dahn is arguably the pioneer of Li-ion battery cells. He is known as the one who made the commercial usage of these cells possible by increasing the life cycle of these cells. He has had a very significant role in the booming EV market.

Now in order to make the Electric segment of vehicles more reliable, EV makers need to ensure that these cars themselves do not turn out to be a cause of concern, and in order to use the waste generated from batteries and cells, one needs to focus on the longevity of a single cell by increasing its energy density as well as durability.

The current battery uses nickel as a component, helping in generating high energy density which can provide an increased range with lesser batteries for electric vehicles. Another point that needs attention is that these batteries also show higher durability than Li-ion batteries when charged at varied temperatures. It was described to live up to a century if charged at a constant temperature of 25 °C.

In the past nickel batteries had cobalt in them which is very hard to obtain now, but with the help of a new electrolyte with the LiFSI lithium salt, this requirement will be very minimal.

It will be interesting to see if the battery can live up to its claims and expectations but the big question here should be who actually will stay alive to witness that.