Tesla applied for a new product patent.

In addition to reducing battery prices and improving energy density, electric vehicle manufacturers also have a goal, which is to ensure the safety of vehicles as much as possible. This means reducing thermal runaway, which is the most common cause of electric vehicle fires. The accident happened because the lithium-ion battery gave off heat and burned everything around it. A new patent of Tesla hopes to prevent this from happening through a metal-air battery connected to the main battery.

Its principle is simple. According to the patent, two battery packs are connected through pipes and valves. If thermal runaway starts, the valve will open, allowing hot gas to flow through the metal-air battery pack and cooling the gas before it escapes from the car.

Tesla's patent suggests the use of metal-air batteries to alleviate the problem of thermal runaway.

To become a practical solution for electric vehicles, metal-air batteries need to solve many problems, but thermal runaway is not one of them. The reason is simple: they need air to work. Their cathode is ambient air, which means they have to pass through? "Breathe?" To generate electricity.

The hot gas generated by lithium-ion batteries may be fatal to metal-air battery devices. Considering that this is a mitigation plan, it may be the lesser of two evils.

Such a patent makes us wonder whether Tesla Battery Day will also reveal any breakthrough in metal-air batteries. After all, it is meaningful to add a practical metal-air battery pack to the current battery pack. The energy density of metal-air battery is much higher than that of lithium ion, but its cyclability is very low. In other words, it is useless to charge the battery several times. Did Tesla solve this problem?

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.