Beijing has created a new company called Five Rivers Company (Wuhe), and battery electrode materials are produced, can reduce the cost of electric vehicles. The company uses nano-structured materials as a battery, just like other new nanostructures, as this material can transmit large outbreak of electricity, which is needed to accelerate, while maintaining the energy storage capacity. Five Rivers, but also the company's progress to make this material easier to use than similar electrode material, the result is, you can reduce cell manufacturing costs by 10%.

    Electric vehicle battery pack is the most expensive components, such as the Tesla Roadster (TeslaRoadster) and Nissan Leaf (NissanLeaf) are like this. This is not to make electric cars cost too expensive, most people can not afford that car manufacturers to promote the use of small batteries, limiting car travel.

    In order to reduce battery costs and improve its performance, the company founder, Five Rivers, a professor of chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Guo Guo (Yu-GuoGuo), developed a new, low-cost way to improve the lithium iron phosphate (lithium-ironphosphate) performance , which is a leading lithium-ion battery electrode materials, he also developed other promising electrode materials.

    Typically, the conductivity of lithium iron phosphate is too low, can not be used. The conductivity can be improved, just grind it very fine nano-powder, as some companies such as A123 Systems, Inc. (A123Systems) done. Because of this particle is small, electronically or both of the necessary lithium-ion current produced, which can quickly access them. However, this powder is difficult to use, will increase manufacturing costs.

    Guo Guo was integrated solution is iron phosphate (iron-phosphate) nanoparticles, they are more likely to intensive accumulation is unlikely to become airborne, but will retain the high conductivity. He did not provide precise details, but he said the technology is based on some of his early published works. An example of this work, he put nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon (porouscarbo) made of large particles. Carbon good conductivity, and porous materials to accommodate electrolyte, lithium ion conduction well.

    Guo Guo was said, your only preparation of these materials by 10% to 20%, which is large compared in terms of lithium iron phosphate. However, they can conduct electricity about twice the bulk material, lithium iron phosphate can also get more than twice the energy, about double the energy storage capacity. He said, when calculated per watt, the cost of this material is equivalent to other lithium iron phosphate electrode materials. However, because this material is easier to use, it can cut costs, to put this material put into the cell.

    Five Rivers is Guo Guo was established late last year, the company has been able to produce 300 tons per year the electrode material, enough is made of about 30 million standard lithium-ion battery cells. Companies also manufacture battery cells, the first application of an electric bicycle. Currently, companies can produce enough cells, about a year supply of 500 electric vehicles.

    JeffDahn is DalhousieUniversity professor of physics and chemistry, he said, according to the company's performance figures, iron phosphate batteries will be "very useful", and better performance than current electric Chevrolet Volt (ChevroletVolt) the use of batteries. He predicted that Five Rivers companies will find a market.