Studies consistently show that customers want electric vehicles to travel 1,000 miles (1,609 km) on a charge, and that’s why battery companies concentrate on increasing battery capacity and energy density. But just like with mobile phones, battery capacity is not that important when you can top up the battery in minutes. In fact, it’s even better since a smaller battery makes an electric vehicle more efficient and nimble.
The secret is a new lithium vanadium oxide (LVO) anode to replace the typical graphite anode used in Li-Ion batteries. The vanadium anode allows for a much faster ion flow, 10 times faster, to be precise. The LVO anode also has the advantage that it contracts and expands less than graphite when charging and discharging. This translates into less mechanical damage to the anode, which helps with the longer battery life.
Ferro-Alloy Resources Limited (LON:FAR) is developing the giant Balasausqandiq vanadium deposit in Kyzylordinskaya oblast of southern Kazakhstan. The ore at this deposit is unlike that of nearly all other primary vanadium deposits and is capable of being treated by a much lower cost process.
