23:50 06-11-2025

Self-heating EV battery stays safe and efficient from −50°C to +75°C

Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have unveiled a new kind of battery engineered to keep its performance and safety intact in extreme temperatures. The design targets one of the biggest headaches for today’s electric cars: efficiency plunging in deep cold or intense heat.

Conventional lithium cells are highly temperature-sensitive. Drop below 15°C and they shed capacity; climb past 25°C and they start to overheat and wear out faster. Led by Professor Chao-Yang Wang, the team proposed a fundamentally different route—a cell that manages its own temperature from the inside.

The core idea pairs a stable electrolyte with a thin nickel foil inside the cell that acts as an integrated heater. When needed, the foil draws on the battery’s own energy to warm itself quickly, keeping the system operating normally even at −50°C. For drivers in harsh climates, that kind of steadiness addresses the problem you actually feel day to day, not just a spec-sheet figure.

This approach removes the need for bulky heating and cooling hardware, trims energy consumption, and lowers the risk of overheating. The battery is designed to run reliably from −50°C to +75°C, with a pathway toward +85°C. If that holds in real products, it could make cold starts and heat waves far less stressful for electric powertrains.

The authors say the technology has potential well beyond cars, pointing to data centers, aviation, and drones. Should it reach mass production, the usual climate limits on electric transport would largely fade into the background.