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A US company has developed non-flammable EV batteries: American battery maker Anthro Energy has developed non-flammable lithium-ion battery technology using a polymer electrolyte making the battery tech safer, Bloomberg reports.
More about the tech: The company’s polymer electrolyte is designed to make lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power EVs, safer and more energy-dense. This technology, which is non-flammable and mechanically robust, could prevent battery fires and improve cycle life.
Why is this important? Lithium-ion batteries pose a significant fire risk because they contain highly flammable materials and are energy-dense. The batteries can cause fires and explosions, and they are a radiation, heat, chemical and electrical hazard. A number of triggers, such as overcharging or overheating can lead to a lithium-ion battery fire.
Fire risks are a challenge for the EV market: Despite EVs posing no more of a fire hazard threat than internal combustion engine vehicles, EV battery fires are more dangerous as they burn nearly 3x hotter and are more likely to reignite, according to EV FireSafe. The batteries are also capable of producing their own oxygen, meaning fires do not need external oxygen to sustain them.
Plans for large-scale operations are underway: The company aims to use the USD 20 mn it recently raised in a series A financing round to expand its tech by building a pilot facility in California to produce electrolytes for large-scale battery manufacturers. Operations are expected to begin by the end of 2024 and product shipments will start in 2025.
