Tesla files patent for longer-lasting, cheaper battery

In late December, Tesla completed a patent application for a new battery chemistry that could make for better, longer-lasting, and cheaper batteries. Earlier in 2019, Tesla's battery research partner, Jeff Dahn of Dalhousie University and his team, announced impressive test results on electric vehicles, showing that the new batteries could last more than a million miles in electric vehicles.

The new battery tested is a lithium-ion battery with a new generation of "single crystal" NMC cathode and a new advanced electrolyte.

Since then, Tesla has been applying for U.S. and international patents for this new battery chemistry.

The automaker, through its "Tesla Motors Canada Division," has applied for a new international patent titled "Dioxazolone and butyronitrile sulfites as electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries."

In their patent application, they wrote:

"This discovery encompasses new battery systems that use fewer electrolyte additives for different energy storage applications, such as vehicles and grid energy storage. More specifically, this discovery includes electrolyte additives that can improve the performance and life of lithium-ion batteries while reducing the cost of other systems that rely more on other additives."

The patent application says the new two-additive mixture in an electrolyte solvent could be used with lithium nickel manganese cobalt compounds, also known as NMC battery chemistry.

It is commonly used by many automakers in electric vehicles, but not Tesla. The company uses the technology in its stationary energy storage systems, but uses NCA in its car batteries.

The patent filed by Tesla's battery research team mentions that this technology is useful for both electric vehicles and grid energy storage.

(Original text from: Global Energy New Energy Network Comprehensive)