Battery breakthrough surprises scientists with enormous potential

Engineers have created a brand new type of battery that could revolutionise the charging time and range of electric cars and other technologies reliant on lithium-ion batteries.

Nanoengineers from the University of California San Diego made the breakthrough by replacing the anodes on lithium ion batteries, which are used in everything from smartphones to space shuttles.

Most commercial lithium ion batteries use graphite anodes, despite silicon anodes having 10-times greater energy density. The issue with silicon anodes is that they expand and contract as the battery is charging and discharging, making them too volatile for use in most products.