In the last five years 25 European research institutions have joint forces to develop a rechargeable battery which uses lithium nano-particles. Within the ALISTORE (Advanced Lithium energy Storage system) research project the scientists have improved the electrical conductivity and managed to reduce the charging time to a few minutes instead of several hours. Today, the new lithium ion battery is the most advanced system of electrochemical energy storage and opens a range of possibilities for industrial applications.
For example, during the ALISTORE project the French car manufacturer Renault developed the concept car ZE – for “zero emission” which is powered by these nano-particle lithium ion batteries. The car will be produced in limited quantities and its range has been increased to up to 160 kilometers per charge.