World-renowned Japanese automaker, Toyota is always positioning itself at the forefront of innovation in the motor industry, it appears. From sports cars, to electric battery-powered vehicles, and even the development of a hydrogen-fueled combustion engine — not to mention the wide range sedans and SUVs used daily by motorists across the world — the vehicle manufacturer is committed to maintaining its spot at the top whilst also existing as a pioneer in terms of alternate fuel sources.
The past year has seen the sale of close to two thousand models of the company’s fuel cell electric vehicle with a new iteration currently in development. The third generation version of the company’s fuel cell EV boasts a comparability in performance to that of diesel fueled engines.
Now, Toyota seems to have taken the lithium powered battery and managed to make significant developments to it, thus potentially increasing efficiency by more than twofold.
Toyota is bringing new levels of evolution to electric vehicles
A collaboration between Toyota Motor Corporation and researchers has birthed a new type of battery that claims to not only rival, but outdo the lithium-ion battery. A new type of cathode material has been developed for all solid state batteries with a reportedly improved capacity per volume. “The positive cathode for all-solid-state fluoride ion batteries to about three times that of lithium-ion batteries.”
When the all solid state fluoride ion is incorporated into batteries, reports have shown that it has the potential to produce twice the amount of energy density than that of a lithium-ion battery. This new cathode material for fluoride ion batteries produces a “reversible capacity of approximately 550 mAh/g. That’s more than double the 120–250 mAh/g typical of lithium-ion cathodes,” as reported.
Although this battery is still in early developmental stages, it is expected to be used in electric vehicles in the coming years.
How was the all-solid-state fluoride ion battery developed?
Copper nitrate was used in the cathode by researchers from the University of Kyoto. The charging process allows for fluoride ions to move through the NaCl. The perovskite crystal also makes use of other materials such as manganese and lanthanum.
The researchers further revealed that the “copper nitride reacts with nitrogen and fluoride ions, making it possible to extract three electrons per nitrogen atom. This gives it three times the capacity per volume and twice the capacity per weight of lithium-ion batteries.” This fluoride-ion battery also boasts a good level of durability wherein it will be able to withstand multiple cycles of charging and discharging.
All solid state fluoride ion batteries have attracted great interest as a potential candidate for next-generation energy storage devices, however, researchers have stressed that cathodes possessing high energy density are still lacking. Despite this, by using these cathodes in solid state batteries, it can “can double the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs) from 600 km (372 miles) to 1,200 km (745 miles).”
One of the main reasons behind the fluoride ion battery gaining popularity recently is its potential for improved safety. This is as a result of fast fluoride ion conduction and solid electrolytes.
A study published in the American Chemical Society had investigated the use of copper nitride (Cu3N) as a cathode material for the all solid state fluoride ion battery. It was discovered that this battery “offers enough anionic vacancies around the 2-fold coordinated Cu center for F– intercalation, thereby enabling a multielectron-transferred fluorination process.”
Researchers further discovered that “Cu3N exhibits a high reversible capacity of ∼550 mAh g–1, exceeding many conventional fluoride-ion cathodes.” As such, it is now believed that through this, new insights into energy storage materials could be brought.
Additionally, Nikkei has reported that in order “to develop an all-solid-state fluoride-ion battery, in addition to the positive electrode, an anode, and a solid electrolyte are required, and the research group will continue to develop these separately.”