- The technology reduces material cost reduction per kWh by 50 per cent compared to lithium-ion cells
- Recently, the company entered into a letter of intent to acquire a world-class battery engineering team to help bring the new battery to pre-production
Electric semi-truck company Nikola Corporation has announced a new battery technology that has a energy density of 1,100 watt-hours per kg on the material level and 500 watt-hours per kg on the production cell level. The company said the battery technology could increase the range of current electric vehicle (EV) passenger cars from 300 miles up to 600 miles with little or no increase to battery size and weight.
It also said while cycling the cells over 2,000 times, they showed acceptable end-of-life performance. The company claimed the technology can create a 40 per cent reduction in weight compared to lithium-ion cells and a 50 per cent material cost reduction per kWh compared to the same.
Nikola World showcase
This month, Nikola entered into a letter of intent to acquire a world-class battery engineering team to help bring the new battery to pre-production. It added 15 PhDs and five master’s degree team members. Nikola will show the batteries charging and discharging at Nikola World whose date will be announced soon.
Trevor Milton, CEO, Nikola Motor Company said, “This is the biggest advancement we have seen in the battery world.We are not talking about small improvements; we are talking about doubling your cell phone battery capacity. We are talking about doubling the range of battery electric vehicle (BEVs) and hydrogen-electric vehicles around the world.”
Environmentally friendly
The company said that the new cell technology is environmentally friendly and easy to recycle. It also said that while conventional lithium-ion cells contain elements that are toxic and expensive, the new technology will have a positive impact on the earth’s resources, landfills and recycling plants.
