German boffins come up with ultra long-life batteries
 

A team of researchers from the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg, which roughly translates as the centre for solar and hydrogen development, has come up with a new Li-Ion battery technology that could bring affordable electric cars a step closer.

The new batteries retain most of their capacity even after 10,000 recharge cycles, which means they should be good for 25 years, or more.

One of the biggest teething problems facing electric cars is the relatively short lifespan of their battery packs. Many experts claim the batteries have to be replaced every five to seven years, and they are pretty pricey, too.

The team claims their new power pack retains more than 85 percent of the initial capacity even after 10,000 cycles. That means they will probably never have to be replaced - the rest of the car will fail before they do.

As with most battery breakthroughs, there's a catch. The technology is still not ready for mass adoption and it needs tweaking. It is unclear when, if ever, it will be employed commercially, reports Hothardware.

http://news.techeye.net/science/germ...life-batteries