Researchers used a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, or Berkeley Lab, X-ray device to gain insight into the process by which lithium-ion batteries, such as those found in electric vehicles, lose battery life over time.
These findings point toward a key to designing electric vehicles that charge much faster and maintain battery health. The study, a collaboration between Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Toyota Research Institute, used imaging technology at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, as well as novel machine learning techniques to understand how fast-charging battery particles interact with lithium ions.
“The findings establish new design rules to make longer lasting batteries that could be recharged quickly,” said Will Chueh, study author and Stanford University materials science and engineering associate professor, in an email.