Info.from Miningscout.comThe race for the best batteries is...

Info.

from Miningscout.comThe race for the best batteries is on!Solid-state batteries are likely to play a larger role in electric car batteries in the coming years. Researchers and developers at universities and manufacturers are already well on their way here. But many other technological approaches are also likely to find their way onto the market. In a few years, there will probably be many other types of batteries in addition to lithium-ion batteries that will power cars on the road. The goals are clear: to open up the automotive mass market, performance and ranges must increase, but charging times must decrease. In addition, costs must be radically reduced. Batteries are already significantly cheaper today than they were ten years ago. But as was the case with solar technology, it is always cheaper with better performance.New niobium-based battery technologyAn interesting and highly advanced approach is niobium-based lithium-ion batteries. This should significantly improve charging times and ranges. And the technology is already further ahead than a laboratory experiment. Toshiba presented a battery in 2022 called the Super Charge Ion Battery (SCiB). Now it has been further developed into a variant with niobium titanate (NTO), which, according to Toshiba, should have a volumetric energy density three times higher than the so-called LTO batteries. The advantages of LTO technology should be retained. But the battery should be able to be charged extremely quickly, writes Toshiba: Around 10 minutes should be enough to charge the battery. Toshiba also promises a high energy density.Prototypes are already in useA bus prototype has now been built based on this technology to provide data on the properties of the NTO battery. It was developed by Volkswagen Truck & Bus Brazil and the vehicle is used as a demonstrator in the Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM) plant in Araxá, Brazil. CBMM is the world's largest producer of niobium with a market share of around 80 percent.