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Lamborghini has licensed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) patent for a newly created organic battery called TAQ. In the future, it could give the Italian supercar manufacturer greater charge density (less weight) and faster charging speeds and a 10-15% reduction in the price tag for one of the most expensive parts of an electric car.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, TAQ is an organic compound consisting primarily of carbon. The new material is insoluble in two commonly used electrolytes, and its energy density is 50% higher than that of one of the most common chemistries in lithium-ion batteries used today – NMC (nickel manganese cobalt), reports TechCrunch.
TAQ, short for bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone, is composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen arranged in a row of three adjacent hexagons. The structure is similar to that of graphite, which is often used today as an anode material (positive pole). Each TAQ molecule is attracted to six others by hydrogen bonds, which are not as strong as other bonds, but are sufficient to create a nearly flat sheet of material that can be layered with holes that store lithium ions.
TAQ's appeal to Lamborghini is obvious: the material holds more energy than existing chemical batteries and charges faster. Less weight is also of paramount importance for sports (actually for all) cars.
Batteries made from TAQ can also be cheaper. MIT researchers estimate that the cost of materials for a TAQ cathode could be a third to one-half cheaper than an NMC. Considering that NMC cathodes account for about half the cost of lithium-ion battery materials, this could reduce the current cost of the battery by 10-15%.
However, the actual savings depend on more than just what chemicals are used to make the battery. TAQ will certainly require changes in the way batteries are produced. Battery makers, which have built or plan to build hundreds of factories around the world, are in no hurry to abandon billions in capital expenditures. The battery market is flooded with chemicals that have enormous potential but have failed to overcome commercial barriers.
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However, geopolitics may change this equation
China dominates nearly every part of the modern cathode supply chain, according to Benchmark Minerals Intelligence. More than three quarters of finished cathode products are produced in this country. It also dominates the production and processing of nickel, cobalt and manganese. Cobalt mining is largely controlled by China. Although most cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chinese firms own many deposits. TAQ does not need these components and will allow almost any country with sufficient technological development to produce cathodes for such batteries and not depend on China.
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