Scientists and investors have poured billions of dollars into researching alternative technologies in a bid to eliminate combustion engines and reduce greenhouse gases. Storing this energy remains the single biggest cost of making an electric vehicle, necessitating unusual approaches to materials development.
Standard lithium-ion batteries currently dominate because they use a stable, well-known technology with decades of history. But these power packs still fall short, with range anxiety and price topping the list of reasons consumers are resistant to buying EVs. Hydrogen fuel cells are among the alternatives being investigated, but they too have drawbacks, including a lack of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
