Chicago researchers create EV battery prototype with 1,000-mile range

In this battery, the anode is made of a solid form of lithium. Air flows in through tiny holes in the cathode, and oxygen reacts with lithium ions that have passed through the solid electrolyte to generate electricity.

What makes this particular model so ground-breaking, is that each oxygen molecule reportedly reacts with up to four electrons at one time, which is unprecedented in prior testing. Scientists are now investigating to see what specific combination of factors is cajoling oxygen to respond at this frequency.

Technical details aside, the real-world applications for lithium air batteries are incredibly vast and promising. EV efficiency is undoubtedly top of the agenda, but Asadi is more intrigued by its potential to sustainably transform both maritime and aviation industries.

‘Those modes of transportation need so much energy that battery packs have been impractical because of the substantial size and weight that would be needed,’ he says.

Despite this early promise, the real challenge will involve scaling up the technology to function as effectively at around 100 times larger. It’s safe to assume we probably won’t see any market impact in the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, major automakers are working on solid-state batteries, either in-house like Toyota, or through partnerships with specialist manufacturers like QuantumScope and Solid Power. Company timelines differ, but many point to the next five years as a big breakout period.

Hopefully when that happens, EVs will not only be the more socially responsible option, but also the more economical. Argonne’s senior chemist Larry Curtis says solid-state batteries ‘can make the cars cheaper as well as go farther.’