Physical pressure may hold the secret to significantly longer‑lasting electric vehicle batteries, according to engineers at the University of Cambridge.
Their work suggests that maintaining constant pressure on lithium‑ion cells could potentially double service life, a striking contrast to the usual incremental improvements seen in battery development. As the researchers noted, “Such gains are unheard of in battery development, where tweaks to battery composition usually result in gains of five to 10%.”
Conventional lithium‑ion cells expand and contract as ions shuttle between the anode and cathode. Professor Michaël De Volder, who co‑led the study, explained that “Batteries don’t tend to like this cycle of stress and release,” prompting his team to investigate the mechanical behaviour of cells rather than altering their chemistry.
The researchers applied steady pressure to pouch‑type cells using pneumatic bellows—air‑filled cushions acting as self‑adjusting clamps. Sensors tracked minute volume changes during cycling. “We just bought commercial batteries and tested them for lifetime under different pressures,” said De Volder. “We didn’t have to change anything about their electrolyte or electrode composition.”
Their findings point to a ‘Goldilocks’ zone of around 12.5 bar. Too much pressure risks lithium plating on the anode; too little encourages cathode cracking. “If you press too hard, the anode is unhappy. If you don’t press hard enough, the cathode starts degrading.”
The implications for the EV market—particularly second‑hand vehicles—could be substantial. Longer‑lasting batteries reduce recycling frequency and ease demand for mined raw materials. A patent has been filed via Cambridge Enterprise,- the university’s innovation arm- with the work supported by the European Research Council, the Faraday Institution and UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The research has been published in the journal Nature Energy.
