Good news for Li-Ion batteries?

[dmethvin]

Sounds like this might extend their useful lives:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3060005/mobile-wireless/scientists-can-now-make-lithium-ion-batteries-last-a-lifetime.html

 

[esaj]

15 minutes ago, dmethvin said:

Sounds like this might extend their useful lives:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3060005/mobile-wireless/scientists-can-now-make-lithium-ion-batteries-last-a-lifetime.html

 

That sounds like a breakthrough... Unfortunately, I'm skeptical about it ever entering large-scale production (which could easily take several years or even a decade anyway), or the batteries will be very expensive, as companies like to sell you the stuff again and again, and anything that lasts a good while (not to mention a lifetime/"forever") is not good for that    Just compare something like home appliances that used to last 10-20+ years (I know people with something like over 30 year old freezers), and nowadays get replaced at least once a decade, if not every five years (and don't even think about getting them repaired). Not to mention something like cell phones...

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

That is so cool.  I hope someone like Elon Musk gets a hold on the technology and runs with it.  Imagine electric cars that never need to replace their batteries?  That would seal the deal for a lot of people as the cost of battery pack replacement after 7-10 years is pretty pricey.  It sure would save the environment as well considering all the dead cells going into the trash or recycling bins.  I love to hear about these genius breakthroughs as it's like a whole new world of possibilities that are opened up.  People with heart pacemakers wouldn't need surgery every so often to replace their battery packs.  Imagine never needing to replace a rechargeable battery again?  That would be insane.  Companies need to come around to a new way of thinking or else the world will continue on it's non-sustainable pace.  There's so much waste and garbage and pollution the world will suffer in the long run if we don't stop this disposable mindset with all the dead-end strategies that companies employ.  Everyone thinks yeah we have unlimited resources and oil that will go on forever so it won't be my problem, but is passing the burden of our effect on the planet on to future generations acceptable? 

[dmethvin]

Battery life is a big deal for cars, if a battery pack goes out after 5 years in an electric car it's as bad as blowing an engine as far as cost. I agree that most appliances have been getting less reliable but cars are really pretty good. When I was a kid my dad would trade in cars with 5 years or 50,000 miles because that is when they started to become trouble. Today, the average age of a car on the road in the USA is more than 10 years. I drove my last car for 17 years and my current one is 15 years old with no major repairs. The interesting thing is that my current car is a first-generation Prius so it's got a big NiMH battery pack. They did a pretty decent job getting that battery to last, I doubt my Firewheel will be around that long with its current battery!