New Battery Design Boosts EV Power Output 75%

Electric vehicle owners may soon enjoy both longer drives and zippy acceleration, thanks to a breakthrough from researchers at South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology.

For years, battery designers faced a frustrating tradeoff. Pack more energy storage into an electrode to extend driving range, and the battery becomes sluggish during acceleration. It's like trying to drink a thick milkshake through a narrow straw.

Professor Kyeong-Min Jeong and his team found an elegant solution by reimagining the tiny pores inside battery electrodes. These microscopic channels act as highways for lithium ions, which carry the electrical charge that powers your car.

The research team discovered that not all pores are created equal. Large pores between particles help ions flow smoothly. But tiny pores formed by the carbon and binder materials actually created traffic jams, slowing everything down.

Armed with this insight, they developed a new mathematical model to map these dual pathways. Then they tweaked the manufacturing process and material ratios to optimize the pore structure.

The results speak for themselves. Under high discharge rates, traditional thick electrodes deliver about 0.98 milliamp hours per square centimeter. The new design reaches 1.71, a 75% improvement that means faster acceleration without sacrificing range.

The team maintained a high capacity of 10 milliamp hours per square centimeter, enough to keep EVs running for extended trips. But now drivers can merge onto highways and pass slower traffic without hesitation.

The Bright Side: This breakthrough arrives at the perfect moment. As automakers race to make EVs more practical for everyday drivers, range anxiety remains a top barrier to adoption. But consumers also want cars that feel responsive and fun to drive, not just efficient.

The research extends beyond today's high-nickel batteries too. The same principles apply to next-generation lithium iron phosphate batteries, which promise to be cheaper and safer. Understanding and controlling internal pore structures could accelerate improvements across multiple battery types.

First author Byeong-Jin Jeon notes their quantitative analysis creates a foundation for applying artificial intelligence to battery design. Even with limited data, AI systems could help engineers optimize future batteries faster.

The findings appeared in the journal Advanced Energy Materials after peer review, marking another step toward electric vehicles that match or exceed gas-powered cars in every measure. The future of driving looks both longer and quicker.