What is a zebra battery?

The ZEBRA battery is a type of rechargeable molten salt battery based on commonly available and low-cost materials – primarily nickel metal, the sodium and chloride from conventional table salt, as well beta-alumina solid electrolyte. It is technically known as the sodium–nickel–chloride battery, and sometimes as a sodium–metal–halide battery.

How do Zebra batteries work?

ZEBRA batteries use plain salt and nickel as the raw material for their electrodes in combination with a ceramic electrolyte and a molten salt. This combination provides a battery system related specific energy of 120 Wh/kg and a specific power of 180 W/kg.

Can Zebra batteries be used for hybrid vehicles?

Electric and hybrid vehicles equipped with ZEBRA batteries. The present generation of ZEBRA batteries is not applicable for hybrid vehicles that have a small battery of about 3 kW h but high power up to 60 kW (a power to energy ratio of 15–20). Recently also prototypes for stationary applications have been designed.

How much power does a zebra battery have?

In total, more than 2 million km has been travelled in ZEBRA powered vehicles. It became apparent that for the car application an improvement in power was desirable. A new cell was described recently which raised the pulse power of the battery to more than 150 W kg −1 throughout the discharge.

Who makes Zebra batteries?

The company AEG Anglo Batteries GmbH funded by joint venture started the pilot line production of ZEBRA batteries in 1994. After the merger of Daimler and Chrysler, AEG Anglo Batteries GmbH was terminated. MES-DEA succeeded the ZEBRA technology and industrialized the battery.

Are Zebra batteries based on a cathode?

The first ZEBRA battery ever built was based on this cathode formulation, although, due to the lower performance and poor stability, it was soon replaced by the current Na-NiCl 2 battery . Nevertheless, due to the low cost of the raw material, interest in batteries with an iron-based cathode has been revived.