Dyson, the appliance company famous for household appliances like vacuums, fans and heaters, has just made a $15 million investment in a new lithium-ion battery that can store twice as much energy as its current commercially available counterparts.
James Dyson with a vacuum.
The battery’s creator, a start-up called Sakti3, has announced its joint development agreement with Dyson to incorporate the new batteries into its products. There’s no word yet on when the new appliances would hit the market, but rumor has it that a new cordless vacuum is on the way.
The Li-ion battery by Sakti3.
According to the Sakti3 team (a spin-off of the University of Michigan’s engineering department), the technology has achieved an energy density exceeding 1,100 Watt-hours per liter, double the traditional Li-ion battery. The higher the energy density, the longer the battery will last.
Sakti3 batteries.
The technology comes from the University of Michigan, where it all began, and switches to a solid-state format. The batteries use solid lithium electrodes instead of liquid Li-ion so they’re better at storing more energy in smaller spaces.
Aside from appliances, the technology could have potential applications in electric vehicles, but that will be further determined by the size and cost of the batteries.
The full details on the investment are not yet released, but Dyson is among many major companies (including General Motors) to recently invest in Sakti3.
Learn more about Sakti3.
Story via MIT Technology Review.
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