Electric vehicle sales have stalled in several parts of the world, including Europe, but in the long term, the future belongs to electricity. Batteries, which represent the soul of vehicles, are constantly being updated.
Silicon also opens a new era in energy storage, says Rick Costantino, founder of the American Group 14, which develops and manufactures electric car batteries made partly of silicon. The businessman is certainly right: 2024 was the year when it became possible to extend the life of lithium-ion car batteries on an industrial scale. The anode – where the current-generating electrons are transmitted in the battery – is made of silicon.
The interesting thing about silicon is that its energy density is ten times higher than anodes currently made from graphite, so it can store much more energy. But batteries made from it can withstand much fewer charging cycles, so they cannot be used in car production yet. Now the problem has been solved by removing all other materials besides silicon from the anode, as well as by changing the composition of the electrolyte that transports the electrons.
The new type of battery is better than lithium-ion in almost every aspect: it is cheaper, can store more energy, can charge faster, is more durable and is safer.
It is no coincidence that leading automakers have already begun to change technology.
