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U-M ME lab working to create safer electric vehicle batteries featured on WXYZ Detroit

09/22/2022

The U-M Battery Lab, led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Jeff Sakamoto, is working to create safer electric vehicle batteries that last longer. WXYZ Detroit covered this work in a recent news release and highlighted the U-M Battery Lab’s aim to address “range anxiety” and high costs associated with developing longer-lasting EV batteries.

The team at the Battery Lab are working on a new “non-flammable, ceramic solid-state electrolyte” that could help batteries hold their charge for longer periods. “That’s what this battery can do, it can double the range on an electric vehicle,” Dr. Sakamoto told WXYZ.

The release comes on the heels of the recent announcement of a new $10.95 million research center, led by Michigan Engineering and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The center will focus on the development of advanced batteries and fuel cells for electric vehicles.