2022年11月21日 VOA慢速英語：公司競相開發(fā)成本更低的電動汽車電池

 

American and European companies are racing to develop new batteries for electric vehicles using two readily available and less costly materials: sodium and sulfur.
美國和歐洲的公司正競相使用兩種現(xiàn)成且成本更低的材料：鈉和硫來開發(fā)新的電動汽車電池。
 
The new batteries could help bring more electric vehicles, or EVs, to the market and reduce China's lead in battery production.
/> 新電池可能有助于將更多電動汽車或 EV 推向市場，并減少中國在電池生產(chǎn)中的鉛含量。
 
Today's EVs run on lithium-ion batteries which cost about $10,000 to $12,000 to make. They are mostly made with lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel. And the materials have increased in price during the last two years.
今天的電動汽車使用鋰離子電池，制造成本約為 10,000 至 12,000 美元。它們主要由鋰、鈷、錳和鎳制成。在過去兩年中，材料價格上漲。
 
The new batteries under development could cost one-third to two-thirds less. But their promise depends on overcoming difficulties in working with the materials. Sodium does not hold as much energy, while sulfur can easily damage key parts of a battery.
正在開發(fā)的新電池的成本可能會降低三分之一到三分之二。但他們的希望取決于克服使用材料的困難。鈉不能儲存那么多的能量，而硫很容易損壞電池的關鍵部件。
 
Still, companies have brought in millions of dollars and government support to develop new kinds of batteries - called sodium-ion or lithium-sulfur.
盡管如此，公司還是投入了數(shù)百萬美元和政府支持來開發(fā)新型電池 - 稱為鈉離子電池或鋰硫電池。
 
Lithium-sulfur batteries
鋰硫電池
 
Several firms in the United States, Germany, and Norway are developing lithium-sulfur batteries that do not need the costly nickel or cobalt. They include Lyten and Conamix in the U.S., Germany's Theion and Norway's Morrow.
幾家公司美國、德國和挪威正在開發(fā)不需要昂貴的鎳或鈷的鋰硫電池。它們包括美國的 Lyten 和 Conamix，德國的 Theion 和挪威的 Morrow。
 
Ulrich Ehmes is the chief executive of Theion in Berlin, Germany. He says sulfur is so corrosive that it kills a battery after 30 charges. But he said the company has developed a way to protect the lithium-sulfur electrode so it can last an EV's lifetime. An electrode is an element through which electricity flows into or out of a battery or other device.
Ulrich Ehmes 是德國柏林 Theion 的首席執(zhí)行官。他說硫磺的腐蝕性很強，充電 30 次后電池就會壞掉。但他表示，該公司已經(jīng)開發(fā)出一種保護鋰硫電極的方法，因此它可以延長電動汽車的使用壽命。電極是一種元件，電流通過它流入或流出電池或其他設備。
 
Ehmes believes its lithium-sulfur batteries could hold three times more energy than the most powerful lithium-ion batteries. He says sulfur batteries charge very fast and cut battery costs by two-thirds. Current lithium-ion batteries generally keep their power for 160,000 to 320,000 kilometers of driving.
Ehmes 相信其鋰硫電池的能量是最強大的鋰離子電池的三倍。他說，硫電池充電速度非常快，可以將電池成本降低三分之二。目前的鋰離子電池一般能保持16萬至32萬公里的續(xù)航里程。
 
"It's cheap, it's high energy density, so it seems to be a no-brainer," Ehmes said.
Ehmes 說：“它很便宜，而且能量密度高，所以看起來很簡單。”
 
Ehmes said the company plans to begin tests with automakers in 2024. And he expects the first production for EV use around 2027.
Ehmes 說該公司計劃在 2024 年開始與汽車制造商進行測試。他預計第一批產(chǎn)品2027 年左右用于電動汽車。
 
Sodium-ion batteries
鈉離子電池
 
U.S.-based Amandarry and British company AMTE Power are developing sodium-ion batteries. They do not need cobalt, nickel, and even lithium which are the three most expensive battery materials.
總部位于美國的 Amandarry 和英國公司 AMTE Power 正在開發(fā)鈉離子電池。他們不需要鈷、鎳，甚至鋰這三種最昂貴的電池材料。
 
Sodium-ion batteries could be useful for EVs that require less power.
鈉離子電池可用于需要較少功率的電動汽車。
 
Amy Chen is an executive at Amandarry. She said the first use of its batteries will likely be electric two-wheelers. In addition to lower cost, Chen said Amandarry's batteries can charge really fast — 80 percent in 15 minutes.
Amy Chen 是 Amandarry 的高管。她說，首次使用其電池的可能是電動兩輪車。 Chen 表示，除了成本較低外，Amandarry 的電池充電速度非?？?mdash;—15 分鐘即可充電 80%。
 
AMTE Power chief Kevin Brundish said his company is planning to launch its batteries for storage systems where energy demand is lower.
AMTE Power 首席執(zhí)行官 Kevin Brundish 表示，他的公司正計劃推出用于能源需求較低的存儲系統(tǒng)的電池。
 
Some Asian firms are also working on these new kinds of batteries.
一些亞洲公司也在研究這些新型電池。
 
China's CATL has said it plans to begin producing sodium-ion batteries in 2023. And Korea's LG Energy Solution aims to start making lithium-sulfur batteries by 2025.
/>中國寧德時代表示，計劃2023年開始生產(chǎn)鈉離子電池。韓國LG
 
Some automakers are testing new types of batteries and keeping an eye on their development.
一些汽車制造商正在測試新型電池并密切關注它們的發(fā)展。
 
"Over time, more (battery) chemistries will come out," said Linda Zhang, chief engineer on Ford's F150 Lightning electric truck. "It would be silly not to take advantage of those chemistries."
“隨著時間的推移，將會出現(xiàn)更多（電池）化學物質，”福特 F150 Lightning 電動卡車的總工程師 Linda Zhang 說。 . “不利用這些化學物質是愚蠢的。”