Alcoa and Phinergy show electric car with aluminum-air battery
An electric car equipped with an aluminum-air battery system developed by two companies, Phinergy and Alcoa, made its track debut earlier this month. The car performed at Montreal's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The event showcased the technology collaboration effort of the two companies to deliver an air-battery system that can support an electric car's journey over greater distances. Phinergy is focused on developing zero-emissions, high energy-density systems based on metal-air energy technologies. The company's work involves aluminum-air and zinc-air batteries. The two companies worked on materials, processes and components, with the goal to commercialize the aluminum-air battery. When used to supplement a lithium-ion battery, the battery can extend the range of an electric car by about 1,600 kilometers (994 miles). This is to draw interest because the limited range possible with many lithium battery systems requiring recharging has been a drawback, motivating technologists to look at next generation solutions.