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Researchers Create Sodium Battery In Industry Standard "18650" Format (gizmag.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the building-it-better dept.

Zothecula sends word that a French team has developed a battery using sodium ions in the usual "18650" format. Gizmag reports: "A team of researchers in France has taken a major step towards powering our devices with rechargeable batteries based on an element that is far more abundant and cheaper than lithium. For the first time ever, a battery has been developed using sodium ions in the industry standard "18650" format used in laptop batteries, LED flashlights and the Tesla Model S, among other products."

3 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Sakura Battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I weep a little extra for the world when even a presumably technically literate audience like Slashdot don't understand and appreciate basic science and scientific progress but immediately starts the consumer chant 'I want to buy it now or it has no value'.

  2. Our house is powered by these by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But not in 18650 format. We have 25kwh of aqueous sodium ion batteries (5000 full cycles and still counting) giving us solar energy at night. Because of the lower voltage per cell, they use a safe sodium salt water electrolyte. G**gle aquion pittsburgh..

  3. "Advanced battery technology" is a flashlight batt by raymorris · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I knew that power tools and laptops used 18650 cells, which are slightly larger than AA batteries. Given the hype about "Tesla's advanced battery technology", I'm pretty surprised to learn the Tesla battery is also simply 7,000 flashlight batteries.

    I see that the Tesla battery pack weighs 1,200 pounds. Reducing weight greatly improves efficiency, handling, braking, and acceleration, meaning lighter weight is all around better. It seems a bit wasteful of weight and materials to have 7,000 metal casings around 7,000 tiny batteries, connected with thousands of connections, rather far fewer larger cells. I'm surprised they don't use perhaps 24 or 100 larger cells instead, thereby eliminating thousands of unnecessary casings and connections.