At some point in the future, we’re pretty sure historians will call the current period of history we’re living in the lithium-ion age, because lithium-ion battery packs are used in everything from electric car battery packs and laptop computers to gadgets, medical devices and telephones.

Not so long ago, nickel-metal-hydride batteries were the preferred chemistry of the humble rechargeable battery pack, thanks to their lower cost and long life. Look back at any of the first-generation plug-in cars produced at the turn of the last century, you’ll find nickel-metal hydride battery packs providing the great energy to power these legendary vehicles.

According to a recent post over at Technology Review, BASF(Badische Anilin-und-Soda-Fabrik)’s team of scientists who work at its dedicated research centre have been working hard to change the microstructure of the electrodes used in nickel-metal battery packs, making it far more energy dense and durable. As a result, it needs less electrode material for a given power output and storage capacity.

In an automotive application for example, the weight saved by choosing Ni-MH over lithium-ion could represent a sizeable improvement in overall efficiency, and with Ni-MH battery packs known to suffer less from premature ageing and degradation with time, opting for Ni-MH rather than lithium-ion could pay dividends for an automaker willing to support BASF in its research.

There’s only one problem at the moment, this technology and the promises being made are stuck in a laboratory environment. Just like so many other battery breakthroughs we’ve told you about in recent years, it’s a long way from the laboratory to the automotive factory.

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