Obviously the underlying and fundamental technology behind our passion for electric vehicles, EVs is the battery. The emerging technology behind the Lithium-ion battery was sparked by the cellphone revolution but much happened before and much will happen later.
The gist, the known history of battery, until proven differently, was the invention of Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist in 1800. At its basic fundamental, it is based on chemical reactions between different materials to store and deliver electric energy. But things didn’t stay at that stage too long, as more powerful and lighter batteries were needed.
Enter stage, the rechargeable battery. It became obvious there was a need for rechargeable batteries. A traditional battery can only discharge in one direction and cannot accept the reverse. By reversing the direction of the current flow, you can store electricity back in it for future use. The French physicist Gaston Planté, invented the first rechargeable lead-acid battery in 1859. This is where EVs played a big role in battery development, it was needed to move these vehicles on the streets late 1800s. Still, lead-acid batteries are heavy have limited power output. Something better needed to come along.
Enter stage, Nickel-cadmium cells. In 1900, these more powerful batteries came onto the market. But it wasn’t until the late 1940s with the help of Georg Neumann, that their chemistry was tweaked to avoid creating gases when over charged, making the first sealed version.
More, better, we need more… Still more and better output were needed and so came the nickel-metal-hydride battery in 1989 which powered almost any electronics, and eventually the Prius. Still, these types of batteries were designed to last 2 years… Someone wanted revenues here. However, this business model would not be sustainable for EVs or plug-in hybrids, PHEVs. Something better needed to happen.
Enter stage, the Lithium-ion battery. Clap! Clap! Clap! Savior of the Universe! Well yes, but… they are so expensive, aren’t they? They came about because non-rechargeable lithium batteries were the lightest metal to give off energy with obvious benefits.
As the technology evolves around lithium, it progresses by using different material and metals to ensure greater energy output, faster recharging and obviously lighter material.
Will this be the end of the line? Certainly not as scientists turn their attention to ultracapacitators that act as batteries but use a different technology.
Source, The Economist. Also look here and there. Links corrected.