Nickel Zinc batteries 35% more energy than NiMH but half the cost of lithium ion


PowerGenix makes a variation on nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which are often used in hybrid vehicles (which have a conventional engine to back up the batteries). The company has created a nickel zinc (NiZn) battery that has 35 percent higher power and energy density than NiMH, but is half the cost of a lithium-ion battery (which still has a third more energy than a NiZn battery), according to its CEO, Dan Squiller.

The batteries are also light, which makes them particularly suitable for small vehicles like motorcycles.

Using both a patented electrolyte and a patented electrode composition, PowerGenix has eliminated past issues of dendrite formation and shape change of the zinc electrode during cycling. Dendrite formation and shape change of the zinc electrode have been the primary hindrances to a commercially viable rechargeable NiZn battery.