New solvent might end winter charging blues for EV owners
Researchers have discovered that using "small molecule" solvents could help improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, speeding up charging and ensuring they work at low temperatures.
A team led by Xiulin Fan, a professor at China's Zhejiang University, found that a solvent called fluoroacetonitrile, which is made up of small molecules, improves the way that lithium ions move in the electrolyte, resulting in high conductivity that could facilitate faster charging.
They also found that the recorded conductivity stayed high at -65°C, a leap forward in low temperature rechargeability, the authors said in a paper published in Nature this week.
As the popularity of electric vehicles increases, drivers are coming to terms with their limits. In January, when many US states plunged well below zero, Tesla drivers complained of poor charging performance.
In Illinois, local media reported public charging stations turning into "car graveyards" because motorists were unable to power their vehicles, for example.
