The battery life of electric vehicles has increased to 967 kilometers! Nikola’s new battery has twice the energy density of Tesla

According to foreign media reports, Nikola has launched a record-breaking battery technology with an energy density of 1100 wh/kg at the material level and 500 wh/kg at the mass production level. By comparison, electric car maker Tesla’s batteries have an energy density of around 250 wh/kg. In addition, Nikola’s prototype battery cell is the first to have the binder material and current collector removed, allowing it to store more energy. Moreover, the battery is expected to pass the spike standard, thereby reducing potential vehicle fire accidents.

(Image credit: Nikola)

The battery technology could increase the range of current electric passenger cars from 300 miles (483 kilometers) to 600 miles (967 kilometers) with little increase in the size and weight of the battery, allowing it to be used in existing vehicles , after more than 2000 charge-discharge cycles, the performance of the battery is still within the acceptable range.

In addition, Nikola’s new battery technology is very environmentally friendly and easy to recycle. While conventional lithium-ion batteries contain toxic and expensive elements, batteries made from new technologies can positively impact the earth’s resources, landfills and recycling plants.

Technical highlights of the new battery include:

1. Now, the Nikola pure electric truck has a cruising range of 800 miles (about 1287.5 kilometers) when fully loaded;

2. If the battery size remains the same, Nikola’s truck will weigh 5,000 pounds, which is lighter than the competition’s;

3. Now, the cruising range of Nikola hydrogen fuel cell trucks can reach 1,000 miles (about 1,609 kilometers), and the hydrogen refueling can be completed in 15 minutes;

4. This battery is the world’s first car battery equipped with self-supporting electrodes;

5. The energy density can reach 1100 wh/kg at the material level and 500 wh/kg at the mass production level, including: shells, terminals and separators, and the energy density is more than twice that of existing lithium-ion batteries;

6. After more than 2000 charge-discharge cycles, the service life is still within the acceptable range;

7. Compared with lithium-ion battery cells, the weight is reduced by 40%;

8. Compared with lithium-ion batteries, the material cost per kWh is reduced by 50%.

In November, Nikola acquired a world-class battery engineering team to bring the new battery into trial production. With this acquisition, Nikola has acquired a team of 15 PhDs and 5 Masters. For the sake of confidentiality and security, more details about the acquisition will not be announced until after Nikola World 2020.

Nikola will demonstrate charging and discharging of the battery in front of an audience at Nikola World, and the opening day of Nikola World will be announced soon, expected to take place in the fall of 2020.

Due to the societal and emissions implications of the technology, Nikola has taken an unprecedented move where the company will share the technology’s intellectual property with other OEMs and even competitors.