Future electric cars could go more than 600 miles on a single charge thanks to battery-boosting gel
Electric vehicle (EV) range anxiety could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a breakthrough in battery technology, which could give EVs a range of more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometers). Today's EVs have a maximum range of 300 miles (480 km) on average . Even the longest-range electric car, the Lucid Air , runs out of charge after about 500 miles (800 km). But in a new study, researchers used tiny silicon particles and a gel-based electrolyte to tap into the high- charge capacity of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The scientists published their findings on Jan. 17 in the journal Advanced Science . Charging works inversely, with positive lithium ions returning to the anode and electrons flowing back across a circuit to the terminal as it gains a positive charge. When no more ions can flow to the node — now technically a cathode — the battery is considered fully charged. Silicon has been widely explored as a candidate for the anode in lithium-ion batteries ...