Toyota Touts Advances in Magnesium Batteries

Toyota Motor Corp. says scientists at its North America Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Mich., have discovered a new electrolyte that works with magnesium anodes that could provide a better-performing alternative to lithium-based batteries for consumer devices and electric and hybrid vehicles.

Magnesium is more stable and has the potential to store more energy than lithium metals, Toyota notes. But a lack of compatible electrolytes has limited the material’s development for battery systems.

While working on a storage material mix for hydrogen fuel cells, Toyota principal scientist and chemical engineer Rana Mohtadi realized the same material could have other applications. She then collaborated with other Toyota researchers to develop the material as an electrolyte for magnesium batteries.  

Their research is detailed in An Efficient Halogen-Free Electrolyte for Use in Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries, a paper published in the science journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Noting that additional research and development is needed, the authors caution that it could take 20 years before the technology is commercialized.