If you follow Tesla, you're probably aware of Jeff Dahn and his team of researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Dahn is the man responsible for the talk about a "million-mile" EV battery, which sounds fascinating, though perhaps not that out of reach. However, more recently, the team with ties to Tesla published a new paper about an energy-dense EV battery that could last 100 years.
According to Electrek, Tesla created the “Tesla Advanced Battery Research” division in 2016. The research group was put together as part of a partnership with esteemed battery expert Jeff Dahn. The researcher was one of the earliest experts to get heavily involved in Lithium-ion batteries. Dahn and his group have a primary goal to make batteries last longer, though increased energy density and decreased costs are also near the top of the list.
Dahn and his team have already created multiple patents and papers related to Tesla's batteries. Not long ago, Tesla decided to extend its contract with the Canada-based research partner until 2026. However, the group now has two new people in charge, and both were reportedly trained by Dahn.
Dahn and Micheal Metzger – one of the newly established leaders of the battery research team — are just a few of the authors listed in a new research paper related to lithium-ion batteries. Electrek says the other authors are "PhDs in the program." The paper, entitled "Li[Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2]O2 as a Superior Alternative to LiFePO4 for Long-Lived Low Voltage Li-Ion Cells” was published in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society.
The paper dives into the complex details surrounding a potential nickel-based battery chemistry that could last 100 years under the right conditions. The chemistry is also said to be comparable to current LFP battery cells when it comes to charging and energy density. Like LFP batteries, the proposed chemistry stands to offer more range with fewer battery cells, which is key not only due to the shortage of battery cells and raw materials, but also to reducing electric car costs.
Follow this link to check out the detailed paper for yourself, then head down to the comment section to share your wisdom.
