Better Batteries

An on-going discussion regarding electric vehicles is that although automotive batteries have been around for more than 100 years, there hasn’t been some huge breakthrough that would allow a charge that would provide a 300-mile-or-so range and a recharging time that would be comparable to pumping fuel into the tank. Meaning that because it hasn’t happened, the likelihood of it happening anytime soon is not very good.

While this is not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, it is interesting to note that Duracell has announced what it describes as “the biggest news in the brand’s battery product portfolio since the creation of the CopperTop.” It has been offering alkaline batteries since the 1960s. And the batteries in question are for things like flashlights and cameras, not cars and trucks.

The big news is that they have developed a means by which batteries can keep their charge for up to 10 years in storage. They’re calling it “Duralock Power Preserve Technology.”

Briefly, it includes a separator between the anode and cathode so there is limited power transfer when the battery is not in use and triple corrosion protection in the form of an acid-resistant, anti-corrosive exterior housing.

You’d think that the folks at Duracell would have long had all this nailed. Yet they’ve managed to find the ways and means to improve their product.

Likewise, those who are working on automotive batteries undoubtedly will come up with significant improvements as they, too, are working with chemistry, software, and physics, areas where there are often breakthroughs.