SBIR Phase I:Ultrafast Charge and Extended Life Batteries for Electric Transportation

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will advance a new class of batteries for transportation. The proposed battery design will maximize the rate of charge and battery lifetime while maintaining high energy density, in contrast with current battery research that primarily focuses on maximizing energy density. This new operating parameter will open the design space for smaller batteries that result in lighter weight, lower cost and longer life vehicle platforms to enable all-electric transportation. In addition, the new operating parameters enable the widespread adoption of two new applications, (i) vehicle to grid and (ii) mobility as a service. The associated reduction of greenhouse gases will be 1+ gigaton annually.The proposed project develops a lithium battery coin cell that demonstrates 3 minutes ultrafast charge and 20,000 extended cycle life performance, using the novel disordered rock salt Li3V2O5 anode. This project explores ultrafast charge lithium ion battery platforms.Technical objectives include: 1) charging times comparable to filling up today's gas tanks; 2) batteries with a higher safety profile that last the entire service life of the vehicle; 3) vehicles that can connect to the electric grid for renewables integration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.