Lithium Air? Solid State? Lithium Sulfur? Batteries. Which will rise to the top as the next power source for electric cars?

Here's What Will Be Powering Next-Generation Electric Cars " AutoGuide.com News

Although gasoline vehicles are getting more efficient, there's no denying that they still pose some harm to the environment. The future of motoring is electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are seen as a global saviour, something that can help fix the damage internal combustion has wreaked on the environment.

From article, (Most EVs currently use a lithium-ion batteries, and some Toyota hybrids use older nickel-metal hydride batteries.

However, despite being used in just about every EV and hybrid, lithium-ion batteries have a low energy density. That means that for their size, they don’t pack much power

One solution to make lithium batteries more energy dense is to use carbon instead of heavier metals. The carbon would react with oxygen to make electricity, but although it’s called lithium air, it’s still a type of battery. IBM has been researching and developing these batteries in order to provide a new type of energy storage for electric vehicles.

In theory, this could help improve the range of EVs, although there are still some kinks to be worked out, including how stable the technology is — it has had some difficulties recharging and is prone to losing its charge through many cycles. Expect it to hit cars as soon as 2020.

 Solid state batteries shun the liquid materials used in current lithium-ion batteries and do away with that lithium air idea. Instead, it uses non-volatile materials that are stable at high temperatures. That’s a big deal because extreme temperatures wear out current batteries, which reduces their effectiveness. Solid state batteries, in comparison, would be safer and longer lasting.

Several companies are investing a lot of money into this technology, including Dyson, with the promise that it would bring about more power-dense batteries than we currently have. For example, the current Tesla-Panasonic batteries that are considered to be the benchmark in the EV industry feature a 240 Watt-hour per kilogram specification. Solid state batteries would be somewhere around 400 Wh/kg.

Another way to reduce the costs associated with batteries is to utilize materials and chemicals that are more abundant. Sulfur is such a resource, and is expected to supercede lithium-ion as the go-to battery of choice because of its higher energy density and lower cost.

Lithium sulfur batteries are also supposedly lighter than lithium-ion units, which should help with efficiency and range. Theoretically, they can hold up to three times more energy than a comparable lithium ion battery.)

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Me, "Whatever battery technology finally takes off, it will ultimately be to the benefit of the electric car driver."