Cold-Weather Batteries Get a Boost

While electric vehicles are increasingly popular today, one reason consumers cite for avoiding EVs is the poor cold-weather performance of the batteries. Now, a new study finds, a novel electrolyte for next-generation lithium-ion batteries could help electric vehicles, mobile phones, and other electronics operate and even recharge quickly during extreme freezing temperatures. Potential battery applications in satellites, space probes, and crewed space missions—all requiring full functioning in extreme cold conditions—are similarly compelling.

In the United States, “over half of the…