Photo: EverVenue
Nickel-hydrogen batteries are used in aerospace applications for their long lifecycle and the ability to operate in a wide range of temperatures. They have some drawbacks that make them less suitable for electric vehicles. Still, startup EverVenue claims it has found a way to make them affordable enough for use in stationary applications.
Li-Ion batteries are the go-to choice for powering mobile devices and all sorts of electronics, thanks to their high energy density and low cost. But they have a relatively short lifecycle and can sometimes be unstable, leading to catastrophic fires. That’s why scientists are always looking for better energy storage systems, either by tweaking Li-Ion chemistries or coming up with new brilliant ideas.
Nickel-hydrogen batteries are weirdly looking devices with unique characteristics that make them suitable for special applications, like space exploration. Among them is their incredible endurance, sustaining tens of thousands of charge-discharge cycles without substantial degradation. They can also be overcharged or deeply discharged without issues and are considerably safer than their Li-Ion counterparts.
But they are also costly because the pressurized hydrogen needs to be contained in a special “vessel” at up to 1200 psi (82.7 bar). This is why they are not yet used in commercial applications. The energy density of nickel-hydrogen batteries is also significantly lower than Li-Ion. This probably means we will not see an EV powered by a nickel-hydrogen battery soon. But the International Space Station, Mars Odyssey, and the Mars Global Surveyor are equipped with such batteries.
EverVenue is a startup that claims it has found a way to reduce the cost of nickel-hydrogen batteries to the point of affordability. This makes them suitable for terrestrial use. The startup has already amassed 5 GWh worth of customer orders for batteries used in stationary energy storage. High-volume production is expected to begin at the company’s headquarters in Fremont by the end of the year. A battery gigafactory is also planned for a site in the U.S. Midwest.
The company intends to manufacture 1.2-kWh vessels that can be stacked together to make grid-level storage systems. EverVenue says it has improved on the technology, achieving over 85% efficiency during complete charge-discharge cycles, which is on par with Li-Ion batteries.
Nickel-hydrogen batteries are weirdly looking devices with unique characteristics that make them suitable for special applications, like space exploration. Among them is their incredible endurance, sustaining tens of thousands of charge-discharge cycles without substantial degradation. They can also be overcharged or deeply discharged without issues and are considerably safer than their Li-Ion counterparts.
But they are also costly because the pressurized hydrogen needs to be contained in a special “vessel” at up to 1200 psi (82.7 bar). This is why they are not yet used in commercial applications. The energy density of nickel-hydrogen batteries is also significantly lower than Li-Ion. This probably means we will not see an EV powered by a nickel-hydrogen battery soon. But the International Space Station, Mars Odyssey, and the Mars Global Surveyor are equipped with such batteries.
EverVenue is a startup that claims it has found a way to reduce the cost of nickel-hydrogen batteries to the point of affordability. This makes them suitable for terrestrial use. The startup has already amassed 5 GWh worth of customer orders for batteries used in stationary energy storage. High-volume production is expected to begin at the company’s headquarters in Fremont by the end of the year. A battery gigafactory is also planned for a site in the U.S. Midwest.
The company intends to manufacture 1.2-kWh vessels that can be stacked together to make grid-level storage systems. EverVenue says it has improved on the technology, achieving over 85% efficiency during complete charge-discharge cycles, which is on par with Li-Ion batteries.
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