IBM announced yesterday that it planned to lend much of its “hardware and systems design expertise” towards research seeking to improve the efficiency of battery technology within the realm of the electric car market. The goal, according to an article in the New York Times, will be to achieve a “tenfold improvement in battery storage, with hopes of reaching the goal before the end of the next decade.” An improvement in battery efficiency of this magnitude would be revolutionary, making it possible for pure electric vehicles to maintain nearly the same range as the conventional internal combustion engine.

Tesla, the California company behind the all electric Tesla Roadster has been the paragon of innovation in this market so far, in large part due to its battery technology (and in my personal opinion, its superior, sleek design). The most important and novel facet of the Roadster is that it employs “a computerized and sensor-based battery system. Tesla put 6,800 standard lithium-ion battery cells designed for consumer electronic products into a 992 pound package,” making it lightweight enough to accelerate from 0-60 in under six seconds.

IBM’s massive capital investment in research to improve battery technology will lead other larger technology companies to join the race to build a better battery, a fact that goes far in making the goal of a tenfold improvement in efficiency much more attainable by 2020. Lithium-air and Lithium-sulfur batteries are the main star of the research being conducted.

According to the New York Times, “Lithium-ion batteries have the potential to deliver about 585 watt-hours of electricity per kilogram, while lithium-sulfur has a theoretical potential of about 2,600 watt-hours, and lithium-air batteries might reach targets well above 5,000 watt-hours.”

Although the testing cycles for these batteries will prove to be lengthy and safety and cost remain concerns, I have high hopes for the viability of this technology once it arrives in the marketplace.

[image via LuxuryVice]