Princeton U. to Receive Nearly $1 Million to Develop Better Batteries for Electric Car

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today applauded a U.S. Department of Energy Grant of $963,389 to Princeton University for the development of longer-lasting rechargeable alkaline batteries to be used in electric vehicles. 

“This is very exciting news, and I heartily congratulate Princeton University for keeping New Jersey’s in what we perhaps are most admired for by the rest of the country: the development of breakthroughs that make people’s lives better and the world a better place,” Menendez said..  “There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for electric vehicles being brought to market, and for many the environment and economic advantages of their use are self-evident. I eagerly Princeton University’s research unlocking the chemical secrets that will help make electric vehicles ready for daily for daily commutes, weekend errands and road trips around this great, innovating nation of ours. ”

The University will use the grant to develop unique alkaline battery chemistry for use in electric vehicles. Its new technology uses abundant and inexpensive materials structured to enable a longer cycle life. If successful, Princeton’s new alkaline chemistry could result in low-cost electric vehicle batteries that require minimal shielding and packaging.

Princeton University’s research is one of 22 projects in the USDOE’s Robust Affordable Next Generation Energy Storage Systems program, which aims to accelerate widespread electric vehicle  adoption by dramatically improving driving range and reliability, and by providing low-cost, low-carbon alternatives to today’s vehicles. The DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which oversees the RANGE program, has awarded a total of $36 million to fund the 22 projects.