Introduction: Many electric car owners are concerned that their batteries may not be durable in very cold weather. Now a new battery chemistry method may have solved this problem. Scientists have developed a new and safer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries, which is as effective below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.8 degrees Celsius) as at room temperature.
 
The main problem in current lithium-ion batteries is the liquid electrolyte. This key battery component transfers charge carrying particles called ions between the two electrodes of the battery, leading to battery charging and discharging. But the liquid begins to freeze at temperatures below zero. This situation severely limits the effectiveness of charging electric vehicles in cold regions and seasons.
 
To address this issue, a group of scientists from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories have developed a fluorinated electrolyte that works well even at temperatures below zero. Scientists reported their work in a paper published in Advanced Energy Materials.