The world’s third largest producer of aluminum has teamed up with Israel’s Phinergy to produce a new battery that would make electric vehicles as cost effective as gas- or diesel-fueled vehicles and significantly extends vehicle range.

A supplement to the regular lithium-ion batteries that most electric vehicles use, the battery uses air and water to unlock substantial quantities of energy embedded in aluminum plates. Each vehicle would use roughly 50 of these plates, and just one of them provides enough fuel to power the EV for nearly 22 miles.

This new technology is said to extend the range of a vehicle on a single charge by nearly 1,000 miles. This kind of range would bring EVs in direct competition with conventional cars, and Auto Net claims that costs will be competitive as well. In other words, this battery eliminates the most fundamental barrier to wider spread use of cleaner cars.

“Electric vehicle adoption has been slowed by the limited range of regular batteries,” says Phinergy CEO Aviv Tzidon. “With Phinergy’s technology and Alcoa’s industrial leadership … we see an exciting opportunity to help move electric vehicles into the mainstream.”

Related: Why China will be the tipping point for EVs

Alcoa and Phinergy’s battery reduces emissions, they are recyclable and fully rechargeable, and they offer a high degree of safety without creating a huge expense.

“Alco and Phinergy look forward to collaborating with the Quebec government to advance this technology,” said Martin Briere, president of Alcoa Canada. “Our production facility in Baie-Comeau is well positioned to provide the aluminum for the battery.”

The companies recently tested their new aluminum-air battery at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and will make a presentation at today’s Canadian International Aluminum Conference in the same city.

While little is said about the amount of aluminum that will be required to scale up production of these new batteries, or what kind of environmental impact that would incur, this technology certainly seems very promising.

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People who own cars want to at least have the option of taking an extended road trip, which has been a major barrier to the success of electric vehicles to date. Limited driving range and long battery charging times are two challenges that EV industry leaders have been working furiously to overcome, and a company from Israel believes they have devised an acceptable solution.

Phinergy’s air batteries made up of 50 aluminum plates can give EVs a range of up to 1,000 miles, according to Gizmag, with each plate providing enough energy for 20 miles. Weighing a total of 55 pounds, this fuel cell could be used in tandem with existing lithium-ion batteries, according to the developers, but the technology is far from ideal.

Gizmag notes that several companies have been trying to come up with mostly lithium-air batteries that have a longer range, in order to make electric vehicles more attractive to a wider audience.

“These batteries offer significantly increased capacity in a more compact form factor by replacing bulky conventional cathodes, which contain the oxidizer within the battery itself, with lighter “air cathodes” that instead draw oxygen from the surrounding air,” writes Darren Quick.

But Phinergy has taken a different approach “with an air electrode with a silver-based catalyst and structure that lets oxygen enter the cell, but blocks out CO2. The result is an air electrode that Phinergy says has an operational lifespan of thousands of hours.”

Problem is, once the 1,000 miles of energy has been exhausted, the battery can’t be recharged. It’s a disposable solution, though Phinergy does not that aluminum is easily recyclable.

Critics responded to Gizmag’s post rightly question whether the energy required to process the aluminum outweighs the benefits of having a renewably-charged electric vehicle in the first place.

But the Israeli startup suggests that their technology, which could be commercially available by 2017, is best marketed as a backup for conventional, rechargeable lithium batteries.

Regular EV batteries can be used for day-to-day short distance travel, while Phinergy’s aluminum air battery would be used for extended trips.

While not entirely ideal, since we really do need to move away from our disposable culture, certainly this is a crucial step in the right direction. Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, city officials are testing an EV rental program specifically designed for short range travel.

Such a program could help reduce emissions and congestion.

:: Gizmag

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