this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 164 points 3 months ago (14 children)

Every day it feels like we're getting closer to battery revolution. It really makes you wonder how different the world will be once we have these incredible batteries actually working at consumer level.

[–] [email protected] 111 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (15 children)

Every day it feels like we're getting closer to battery revolution.

It's been "every day" for as long as I can remember. Some new world-changing battery tech is right around the corner, but never manages to appear in consumer vehicles...

[–] [email protected] 89 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Battery tech has still come a long way since say 10 years ago, even though the "next gen" stuff hasn't made it to scaled production. Looks like this is the beginning of scaled production, though.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Looks like this is the beginning of scaled production, though.

Production is a tiny link in the supply chain.

According to the article they've sent them to manufacturers for testing and that's it.

Even if they were able to make them they'd still be impossibly expensive for decades, as the implications of such a technology would be gargantuan.

[–] [email protected] 58 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (11 children)

Nah, see the battery density graph here. Batteries have made great progress already, and it's accelerating because suddenly there are trillions of dollars on the line for anyone that can make big strides in battery technology.

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Battery tech is constantly having huge breakthroughs. They are just come in small steps.

I mean a smart phone is literally a battery powered computer. It's absolutely astounding compared to what we had 10/20 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Only thing I'm upset with is that we get more battery capacity, but not longer battery time. I want to clock my phone down to save power, but that's not allowed.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Most phones have some sort of "Ultra power saving" mode that gives a lot of battery life.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I always use the power saving mode, however my experience is that the battery time is almost the same irregardless of battery capacity (comparing arbitrarily över the years)

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

It's absolutely allowed.

It's not as good as previous versions but I am running stock android and I have wifi power saving and phone (background) power saving modes available. I just checked and the estimate of time until zero percent battery goes from 22 hours to 28 hours with the node that limits backup processes, and that is with 59% on the battery.

There was a power save mode on my old phone that made everything grey screen and stuff that was way better. I think I enabled it for a camping trip once and used like 20% battery in 3 days.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah the more power phones have available the more manufacturers use.

It's why I miss replaceable batteries.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

That made me think of the fairly low res picture of the menu screen from Mario Bros on the NES with the caption "this one image takes up more memory than the entirety of the Mario Bros game code.

Good lord...I remember getting a 1GB HDD and thinking "welp, never gonna use that up" then a few years later installing Diablo2 and seeing it was 1.1gb...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Battery tech is constantly having huge breakthroughs. They are just come in small steps.

My guy, those are opposite things...

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Not really. They have massive breakthroughs that increase capacity and charging hugely.

People just seem to expect some world changing development constantly.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The difference is this is actually shipping to manufacturers.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Solid state batteries are already being produced at scale. It's happening.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (6 children)

There may not be a revolutionary discovery, but we are nearing a tipping point where battery makes more sense for most disconnected power storage than anything else.

The cell phone I had 30 years ago had a battery pack that was about as big as my current cell phone and was 500 mAh. My current cell phone has a little battery tucked away in it that stores 4000 mAh, recharges about as fast, and can be recharged more before it loses a significant amount of its capacity. It also costs about 1% per mAh of the price of that battery from 30 years ago.

Just because you haven't bothered to investigate advances in battery technology doesn't mean significant advances haven't occurred.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

feels a bit like fusion power

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 3 months ago (2 children)

They’re coming off a pilot production line and have shipped to vehicle manufacturers to see if they want to incorporate these into upcoming models.

Problem will be the price for the first run of this tech. They’re targeting “ultra premium” vehicles until they can scale and optimize manufacturing.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The market will segment away from the current tech anyway. CATL Sodium-ion with comparatively low densities but also extremely low prices per kWh will likely win the low-end market and the market for stationary solutions. This is just due to the much lower resource costs. The high-end will be up for things like this battery by Samsung (or other comparable pilot products). The current technology will likely be in a weird middle spot.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

And those cheaper batteries may not be as compromising as people think. In terms of kwh/kg, the sodium-ion batteries coming on the market now are about where lithium poly batteries were about 4 years ago. It takes a few years before new batteries make their way into EVs, which means EVs being purchased right now have batteries with a similar kwh/kg of the new sodium-ion batteries. Those batteries are around 30% cheaper and don't have the same level of fire hazards as some lithium chemistries.

So if EVs on the market today have adequate range for your use, you'll probably be just fine with a future sodium-ion EV.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There won't be many charging stations able to output that kind of wattage tho

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Can you imagine not having the constant traffic noise played into your ears like tinnitus, being able to maybe actually breathe the oxygen nature provides. That’s probably gonna be what it will be like. But still, ev are just a stop gap, more privately owned cars isn’t the solution in my humble opinion, it is a start towards it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Totally with you, but tire dust is one of the major pollution particles from cars, maybe even the worst AFAIK. That, sadly will not go away but it is still leagues more desireable to have everything on electric than fossil fuel. Can't have perfect stop good enough.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Yep, tire pollution is even worse with EVs due to their weight. But overall it's still much better as you said.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (4 children)

It would help if cars went back to a reasonable size and not the absurdly large monstrosities that dominate the market today.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It's even hard to find an EV sedan. There are like 3 models under $70k. Everyone wants to make SUVs instead.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

That's the real kicker. Gets especially hard if you don't want a Tesla.

Many of the conservatives who cite heaviness of EVs as a problem didn't say shit as ICE cars got heavier and they bought F150s to go to Walmart.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The tire noise EVs make is about the same as an ICE car at about 50 kph (30 mph) so it doesn't make much difference on busy roads. It does make a huge difference in slow traffic.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

The traffic noise will stay the same, from tires, honking and some fake engine noise they'll mandate for pedestrian safety.
Do yourself a favor and spend some time in an area without cars. It's amazing what it does to your mental health.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

About noise, above 30km/h electric cars are as noisy as gas powered one.

It's better but not the panacea either.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Solution: 30km/h speed limit in cities, which is a good idea anyway for safety reasons.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Yes, it's better for safety and health reason.

Plus 30km/h is in the speed range of bikes, so it become much more accessible to bike around in the city and more people start to do it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

It’s 30mph not kph. City streets should be limited to 20mph anyway.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

we’re getting closer to battery revolution

If big oil doesn't buy up the patent and squirrel it away.

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