"A German research consortium led by ZSW has developed silicon-based anodes that could increase lithium-ion battery energy density by up to 250 percent. The FACILE project, funded with €1.28 million, uses innovative fiber substrates to solve silicon's expansion problem, potentially enabling electric vehicles with significantly extended range and more sustainable energy storage."

Engineers at Purdue University have harnessed a simple optical phenomenon to peer inside working batteries. By tracking how hundreds of individual particles brighten during charging, Professor Kejie Zhao's team can map charge distribution with unprecedented clarity, a critical advance for preventing battery failure and improving safety.