Nickel could be the key to making electric vehicle (EV) batteries safer and more powerful.
Compared to cobalt, which is commonly used in today’s EV batteries, nickel is easier to find, less expensive, and provides a higher energy density.
This means cars can travel longer distances on a single charge. However, nickel-based batteries have some challenges, including stability and safety concerns.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Argonne National Laboratory are working to solve these problems.
In a recent study published in Nature Energy, they explored how nickel-based cathodes—the battery components responsible for energy storage—can be made safer and more stable.
“High-nickel cathodes have the potential to revolutionize the EV market by providing longer driving ranges,” said Professor Arumugam Manthiram, a researcher at the Texas Materials Institute.
“Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of their thermal stability, which is crucial for developing safer batteries.”
The team conducted over 500 tests on 15 different high-nickel cathode materials.
They discovered that each material has a critical limit for how much charge it can safely hold.
If the battery goes beyond this limit, it becomes unstable, which can lead to overheating and even dangerous fires.
To address this issue, the researchers developed a “thermal stability index” to measure how each material reacts when it heats up. Several factors influence this, including the material’s composition, surface chemistry, nickel content, and crystal size.
These findings could help battery manufacturers design safer, more reliable batteries for EVs, making them more appealing to consumers.
As the demand for clean energy solutions grows, these advancements are essential for the future of transportation.
“Our work provides a roadmap for the industry to follow, ensuring that the high energy density of these cathodes does not come at the cost of safety,” said Zehao Cui, a research associate in Manthiram’s group.
The research team isn’t stopping here. Their next step is to study how electrolytes—the liquid components that help charge flow through the battery—interact with nickel-based cathodes. Ensuring a strong and stable connection between these materials will be key to improving both safety and performance.
By addressing these challenges, scientists are paving the way for better, longer-lasting, and safer batteries that will drive the future of electric vehicles.
