Wednesday 29 August 2012

Lithium car batteries- Towards the future

Technological advancement has changed our lifestyle. From computers to bikes, we can enjoy miraculous benefits of technology and even car batteries are not the exception for it. The days are now gone when a heavy, bulky battery was used for our vehicles. Now, lithium car batteries can let us enjoy a high performance vehicle ride with light weight, smaller batteries.
Yes, the arena of Lithium car batteries is one of the areas where technology has a large impact. Lithium car batteries have made a huge leap in the auto industry. These batteries offer higher performance specifications.
Most lithium car batteries available in the market these days are Lithium Ion batteries. These batteries use LiFePO4 (Iron Phosphate LiFePO4 e) as the cathode material. Earlier, most of the motorcycles featured lead acid batteries. However, recent advancements in motorcycle lithium batteries help improve high performance. Similarly, in automotive area, Lithium-ion batteries have a more powerful punch in terms of energy.
What makes a lithium car battery so powerful option?
Lithium-ion batteries are capable to store more energy in smaller spaces. As compared to nickel-metal-hydride and lead-acid options available, light weight lithium car batteries let you enjoy more power. The nickel-metal-hydride batteries in hybrids on the road are heavy and have this limits their potential too. Lithium has the most electrochemical potential and energy density of all metals. This makes it different from other leading equivalents. Lithium-ion batteries can amplify vehicle speed without making it heavy. Due to this feature, smaller versions of these batteries are also used in different consumer electronics products including ipods, laptops and cell phones.
Like all other products, Lithium car batteries too have a few bumps in the road like costs and safety. Good quality Lithium car battery costs almost twice its leading equivalent. However, the benefits are worth its cost. Safety is another concern as there is a chance for explosion. In Lithium-ion batteries, a thin layer called an electrolyte separates its negative and positive sides. This layer is perforated and the lithium ions can pass through from one side to another. This produces a current. In manufacturing process, some tiny bits of metal can potentially stuck in perforations. This can create obstacles for freely flowing ions. Heat and pressure can build up and result into an explosion. Thus, the ions moving too quickly can result into overheating leading to an explosion. As scientists and car companies are well aware about the broad potential of these batteries, time, efforts and money are put into finding ways to eliminate any safety hazards. Systems are developed to address safety concerns.
All above points make it clear that lithium car batteries will definitely make a big leap in the industry. With technological advancement, research and efforts, the days are no long, when lithium car batteries will be recognized as a major arena in industry. 

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