More electric vehicles (EVs) are on the road than ever before, but many drivers still worry about how far they can travel on a single charge.

In fact, a recent survey found that 46% of U.S. EV owners have thought about switching back to gasoline cars, mainly because of charging concerns.

While battery technology has improved, it still hasn’t met drivers’ expectations.

Now, researchers at Florida International University (FIU) have made an exciting breakthrough in battery technology that could double the range of electric cars and make charging less of a hassle.

A new type of battery

FIU scientists have been working on a next-generation battery called lithium-sulfur, an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries used in today’s EVs, smartphones, and laptops. Lithium-sulfur batteries are:

• Lighter than lithium-ion batteries.
• Less expensive to produce.
• More energy-dense, meaning they can store more power and run longer.

However, there has been a major problem: lithium-sulfur batteries wear out quickly, often becoming useless after just 50 charging cycles.

The platinum solution

After eight years of research, FIU professor Bilal El-Zahab and his team found a way to make lithium-sulfur batteries last much longer. Their solution? Adding a tiny amount of platinum.

Platinum stabilizes the battery and prevents chemical reactions that cause damage over time. The results were impressive:

• The battery retained 92% of its capacity after 500 charging cycles—almost as good as new.
• It significantly reduced performance issues, making lithium-sulfur batteries much more practical for everyday use.

“We had to become ‘battery whisperers’ to solve this problem,” said El-Zahab. “It’s really exciting to be at this stage.”

How does it work?

All batteries work by moving charged ions from one side to the other during charging and discharging. In lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium and sulfur interact to create polysulfides—compounds that can build up over time and damage the battery’s efficiency.

To fix this, researchers added nanoparticles of platinum to the sulfur side of the battery. The platinum acts like a traffic controller, guiding the lithium ions to move smoothly and preventing harmful buildup. Amazingly, only 0.02% of the battery needed to be platinum to make a huge difference.

“Adding platinum is like adding a pinch of salt to food—a small amount makes a big impact,” said El-Zahab.

The new battery is now undergoing third-party testing, a key step before it can be used in commercial products. If successful, this breakthrough could revolutionize electric cars, helping them travel farther on a single charge and making EVs even more practical for everyday use.

The research was published in the journal Energy & Environmental Materials.

Source: KSR.