Most battery-powered devices, from smartphones and tablets to electric vehicles and energy storage systems, rely on lithium-ion battery technology. Because lithium-ion batteries are able to store a significant amount of energy in such a small package, charge quickly and last long, they became the battery of choice for new devices.
But new battery technologies are being researched and developed to rival lithium-ion batteries in terms of efficiency, cost and sustainability.
Many of these new battery technologies aren’t necessarily reinventing the wheel when it comes to powering devices or storing energy. They work much like lithium-ion batteries do, just with different materials.
How Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Work?
- Lithium is stored in the battery’s anode, the positively charged electrode, and the cathode, which is the negatively charged electrode.
- A liquid electrolyte, or separator, transports positively charged lithium ions between the anode and cathode, the movement of which helps create free electrons in the anode.
- As a result, a charge is built up at the battery’s positive current collector, which flows through the device to the battery’s negative current collector.
- When powering the device, the anode is transferring lithium ions to the cathode, and when charging, the cathode is returning them.
While lithium-ion batteries have come a long way in the past few years, especially when it comes to extending the life of a smartphone on full charge or how far an electric car can travel on a single charge, they’re not without their problems. The biggest concerns — and major motivation for researchers and startups to focus on new battery technologies — are related to safety, specifically fire risk, and the sustainability of the materials used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, namely cobalt, nickel and magnesium.
New Battery Technologies
Here are a few new battery technologies that could one day replace lithium-ion batteries.
New Battery Technologies
- Solid-state batteries
- Lithium-sulfur batteries
- Cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries
- Sodium-ion batteries
- Iron-air batteries
- Zinc-based batteries
- Graphene batteries
Solid-State Batteries
How Do They Work?
Instead of relying on a liquid or gel electrolyte, solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte. These solid electrolytes are typically ceramic, glass, solid polymer or made with sulphites.
How Will They Be Used?
Following its announcement that it would test solid-state batteries, BMW received its first batch in November of 2023 from Solid Power and has continued to work on prototypes. However, the company won’t be able to produce solid-state battery-powered cars until after 2030. Meanwhile, Toyota could launch solid-state battery-powered cars as soon as 2026. Solid-state batteries are already being used in pacemakers and some smartwatches, and devices like smartphones and tablets could soon follow.
Pros and Cons of Solid-State Batteries
Compared to lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries are more efficient, packing more power with the same size battery. As a result, EV batteries could become more compact, charge faster and weigh less, which could increase range. Solid-state batteries are believed to last longer — with up to seven times more recharges during their lifetime, according to CAR Magazine. They’re also believed to be safer, because the solid electrolyte material is fireproof, unlike lithium-ion batteries, which are known to pose a fire risk.
Currently, the one drawback to solid-state batteries is how difficult it is to scale a technology in its early stage for widespread use, given testing and limited production capabilities. In addition, it takes time to engineer and verify the performance of solid-state batteries, contributing to delayed release dates for some companies.
Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
How Do They Work?
This new battery technology uses sulfur for the battery’s cathode, which is more sustainable than nickel and cobalt typically found in the anode with lithium metal.
How Will They Be Used?
Companies like Conamix, an electric vehicle battery manufacturer, are working to make lithium-sulfur batteries a reality, aiming to have them commercially available by 2028, according to the clean energy news site, CleanTechnica. There’s even hope lithium-sulfur batteries could be used to power aircraft and trains, along with energy storage, according to Electrek.
Pros and Cons of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries are believed to be more efficient than lithium-ion batteries, which could increase the range and storage capacity of electric vehicles. Additionally, sulfur is affordable and abundant, which could mean lower costs. And since the manufacturing process for these batteries is like the one used for lithium-ion batteries, the same facilities could also be used for production. Advancements in lithium-sulfur batteries have also resulted in ultra-fast charging and made them useful for raising the storage capacity of renewable energy technologies.
One of the major drawbacks of this new battery technology is corrosion, though new designs are in the works to curb it. Another disadvantage is that these batteries don’t last as long as lithium-ion batteries.
Cobalt-Free Lithium-Ion Batteries
How Do They Work?
These batteries work like lithium-ion batteries, but they don’t contain cobalt, which is typically used to stabilize the cathode in a lithium-ion battery.
How Will They Be Used?
These batteries could be used in any device powered by a lithium-ion battery, but much of the focus is on developing cobalt-free batteries for electric vehicles. Currently being used by Tesla in some electric vehicle models, cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries could soon become a staple of Lamborghini’s models since the company has patented MIT’s new battery technology.
Pros and Cons of Cobalt-Free Lithium-Ion Batteries
The main advantage of cobalt-free batteries is that they don’t contain cobalt. Cobalt is incredibly expensive, and the mining of it is associated with human rights abuses. The United States Department of Energy is hoping to end the use of cobalt in lithium batteries by 2030.
But alternatives to cobalt come with their own flaws as well. The process for mining and extracting cobalt can be toxic and dangerous, and another cobalt alternative known as TAQ is still new and requires more testing. For these reasons, companies may continue to rely on cobalt until they can establish other options.
Sodium-Ion Batteries
How Do They Work?
These batteries are similar to lithium-ion batteries, but instead use saltwater as an electrolyte.
How Will They Be Used?
These batteries are believed to be suitable for energy storage. As research on sodium-ion batteries progresses, the batteries could even go on to fuel faster charging in EVs, mobile devices and space technology.
Pros and Cons of Sodium-Ion Batteries
Despite low energy density — sodium-ion batteries are only able to store approximately two-thirds the amount of energy a lithium-ion battery of the same size can hold — it’s much more affordable and very safe thanks to low risk of fire. It also performs better at lower temperatures than lithium-ion batteries.
While sodium-ion batteries in the past have been too inefficient for electric vehicles, researchers are working on sodium-ion batteries with faster charging times.
Iron-Air Batteries
How Do They Work?
According to Popular Mechanics, iron-air batteries work by oxidizing iron — using air to turn iron into rust — to produce energy. During the battery’s charging process, the cells are transformed back to iron through reverse oxidation.
How Will They Be Used?
Iron-air batteries are great for energy storage, providing up to 100 hours of storage at a tenth of the cost compared to lithium-ion batteries. Form Energy, an energy storage company, has finished constructing its plant in West Virginia and has received approval to build another site in Minnesota in partnership with Xcel Energy. Form Energy has also partnered with Puget Sound Energy to expand its technology in Washington State. All these developments allow Form Energy to provide crucial energy support to power plants.
Pros and Cons of Iron-Air Batteries
These batteries are very affordable, given the abundance of iron and air in the world. In fact, they’re up to 10 times cheaper, according to Popular Mechanics, and last up to 17 times longer.
The only drawbacks are their large size and slow recharge time.
Zinc-Based Batteries
How Do They Work?
Zinc-based batteries work much like lithium-ion batteries with zinc ions flowing from the battery’s anode to cathode. This class of new battery technology includes zinc-bromine, zinc-manganese dioxide, zinc-air and zinc-ion batteries.
How Will They Be Used?
Zinc-based batteries could be used for solar energy storage because of their low rate of self-discharge. According to PV Magazine, a zinc-air battery storage system was installed in a 32-building community in Queens, New York, in 2022. After receiving a $400 million loan from the Department of Energy, startup Eos Energy aims to improve climate technology and the U.S. grid system with its zinc-based batteries as well.
Pros and Cons of Zinc-Based Batteries
These batteries are typically capable of storing an abundance of energy. Additionally, the materials used in their production are affordable, non-toxic and readily available, according to PV Magazine.
But researchers are still working to solve some technical problems related to these batteries, namely the potential for them to short circuit. These batteries are also inefficient and expensive to produce, so more research is needed before they can be used more widely.
Graphene Batteries
How Do They Work?
Graphene batteries consist of cathodes that are a hybrid of solid-state materials and graphene, which is made up of a thin layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure.
How Will They Be Used?
Graphene batteries are viewed as a major upgrade to lithium-ion batteries and are expected to reshape the EV industry by the next decade. Everyday devices like smartphones and computers could also be equipped with graphene batteries to improve their performance.
Pros and Cons of Graphene Batteries
Graphene batteries are much more conductive than their lithium-ion counterparts, leading to faster charging in devices and EVs, increased battery capacity and extended battery lifespans. Graphene’s sturdy structure also makes it a more reliable material than lithium-ion, lowering the risk of battery explosions and fires.
The only setback to graphene batteries is their cost. Because companies have yet to figure out a way to mass-produce graphene batteries, the technology remains expensive and largely inaccessible to the general public for the time being.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which battery technology is best?
Every type of battery technology comes with its pros and cons. However, solid-state batteries are valued because they last longer and are more efficient than lithium-ion batteries.
What battery will replace lithium?
Sodium-ion batteries are seen as a safer and more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. There are also other lithium-ion alternatives like iron-air batteries, zinc-based batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries.
Is battery tech improving?
Researchers have continued to create more efficient, safer and longer-lasting batteries compared to lithium-ion batteries. One of the latest technologies includes graphene batteries, which promise faster charging, longer lifespans and greater safety than lithium-ion batteries.
