Did this new aluminium battery tech for EVs just solve cold weather battery life issues?

Electric vehicles are more efficient, faster and smarter than ever before – even capable of self-driving. Yet, battery life is still a major barrier for some.

It's particularly bad when it comes to the cold – with batteries being sapped and performing far more poorly in chilly regions. However, that may be about to change.

Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, in China, have unveiled an EV battery tech that could be ideally suited to cold weather use. This is thanks to a "liquid-solid" battery that uses aluminium with the traditional lithium-ion battery tech.

The result is pretty impressive, with a retention of more than 85% battery capacity after being used for more than eight hours at -34°C (−29°F). So, that should cover even some of the coldest regions of the planet then.

This smart new liquid-solid tech was put to the test by researchers in a Geely EX5 EV, reports CarNewChina. In this field test, it achieved a 92% discharge efficiency at -25°C (-13°F).

What's perhaps even more exciting is that it was able to go from nothing to 90% charged in just 20 minutes. And, that was also under extreme cold conditions.

This new tech tackles the problem of cold by widening the battery’s operating temperature range. Crucially, it managed to heat effectively during fast charging without requiring complex insulation setup. Something many current EV models need in the form of pre-conditioning to charge properly.

Aluminum litium-ion batteries: pricing and availability

This is a very new technology, so how and when it will be commercialised remains to be seen.

But, with company's like China's own BYD and CATL already racing to offer ultra-fast charging technology, this new discovery could surely play a role in future battery tech developments.

This shows just how fast battery tech innovation is moving and could point to an exciting all-weather, fast-charging battery future that's just around the next bend.