ORGANIC BATTERIES FOR ELECTRIC CARS? YES, GRAPHENE-BASED!

The electric mobility revolution: recyclable, compostable and sustainable graphene-based organic battery. Longer ranges and fast charging!

A tipping point has arrived where the vast majority of automotive brands are focused on betting on electric mobility as part of a new era where we are all part of the change.

This has probably been accelerated partly because of Europe's stringent emissions targets and its commitment to achieve climate neutrality in greenhouse gases by 2050.

Whatever the reason, the reality is that day by day we keep hearing new news about the electric car industry. And although the efficiency of electric motors has always been very high (around 95% compared to 30-35% for combustion engines), the electric mobility sector still has a long way to go.

So much so that brands are not only hurrying up to bring new electric models to market, but are also in the process of researching new technologies with greater efficiency and lower environmental impact compared to current lithium-ion batteries (used not only in electric vehicles but in all kinds of electronic devices), such as solid-state batteries and organic graphene batteries.

So, what is a graphene-based organic battery?

Graphene is characterised by the fact that it is a thin, transparent and very flexible substance composed of pure carbon, with atoms similar to graphite (one of the forms in which carbon can be found in nature).

It provides 200 times more strength than steel and is widely available on the planet. Despite being made of the same material as the graphite in pencils, it is considered a two-dimensional material and a superconductor of electricity (even better than copper).

Another great advantage of graphene is that it has almost no internal resistance, which in fact is the case with most materials currently used to conduct electricity. To counteract this effect, larger volumes of such materials must be used today (such as thicker copper wires to facilitate a higher amperage of electricity), and heat sinks must be used to prevent overheating, as the resistance produces heat and high temperatures.

Well, graphene could also be the solution to this problem, since, having practically no internal resistance, it avoids the use of heatsinks without reaching high temperatures or generating any danger.

Which benefits will graphene-based organic battery bring?

Andreas Hintennach, head of battery cell research at Daimler Group, says these batteries rely on "an organic chemistry based on graphene, without foreign, expensive or rare elements, without metals, fully recyclable. They have a high energy density and offer great fast-charging possibilities”.

Thus, we are talking about batteries that will provide multiple advantages over current lithium-ion batteries, such as:

• Smaller size, higher energy density and greater autonomy

Graphene itself is a single atom-thick layer of carbon, and because it is such a thin and light substance, it allows the size of its batteries to be much smaller.

They can take up 20-50% less space than current batteries, which means that the smaller they are, the lighter they are. In turn, this translates into greater autonomy, as they offer higher performance with three times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.

This means that they waste minimal energy during operation and translates into ranges equivalent to today's combustion engines: from 372 to 600 miles of range on a single charge.

• Lower cost

Due to the fact that their production does not depend on expensive and naturally scarce raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and copper, graphene-based organic battery will have much lower production costs than current lithium-ion batteries.

• Fast charging

The great thing about these types of batteries is that their charging cycles are shorter. In fact, it is estimated that a charging cycle can be up to 100 times faster, allowing shorter charging times of between 8 and 15 minutes.

And that's not all! This technology would have the great advantage of offering induction charging, meaning no need for wires!

• Increased safety

One of the other advantages of graphene batteries is their optimal temperature management. Thanks to the fact that graphene has virtually no internal resistance, it avoids the high temperatures that current lithium-ion batteries can reach.

However, it is worth remembering that the fire risk is four times higher in a petrol or diesel car than in an electric one. Graphene technology would therefore further increase the safety provided to electric car drivers.

• Longer electric car lifespan

As we already know, current lithium-ion batteries have a limited lifespan of around 8 to 10 years, which equates to around 3,000 full charging cycles.

Organic graphene batteries promise to far exceed this lifespan, as it is estimated that they could deliver twice as many charge cycles.

In fact, it is estimated that after 300,000km of driving in a car with a graphene-based organic battery, the battery would only lose 20-30km of range.

• Organic and sustainable composition

Thanks to graphene, which is 100% recyclable through composting, these batteries would not emit a single gram of CO2 into the atmosphere and their manufacturing processes would be completely carbon neutral.

In addition, graphene-based organic battery could mark an important milestone in the standardisation of both manufacturing and recycling.