NASA Makes Breakthrough with Solid-State Battery for Electric Vehicles

NASA’s Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) team has made significant progress in developing solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are prone to issues like overheating, fire, and loss of charge over time, SABERS’s experimental solid-state battery pack utilizes stacked sulfur and selenium cells to mitigate these problems and offer greater weight savings.

The preliminary testing of the battery packs has demonstrated multiple times more discharge power compared to standard lithium-ion batteries. This design not only reduces the battery’s weight by 30 to 40 percent but also significantly increases its energy storage capacity, surpassing the capabilities of current technology. Rocco Viggiano, the principal investigator for SABERS at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, states that the experimental battery packs have powered objects at 500 watt-hours per kilogram, twice that of a typical electric car.

While the technology is still in the testing phase, the ultimate goal for the SABERS team is to develop a functional solid-state battery that can be used in electric-powered commercial flights. This advancement could contribute to reducing carbon emissions from air travel.

Waabi Innovation Collaborates with Uber Freight to Enhance Autonomous Trucking Technology

Toronto-based company Waabi Innovation has partnered with Uber Freight to deploy its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Unlike many automakers, Waabi utilizes AI software called Waabi World to recreate real-world scenarios in a digital environment. This includes situations such as computerized cars crossing lanes or pedestrians suddenly appearing in front of self-driving vehicles.

The data generated from these digital scenarios is then fed into an application called Waabi Driver, which updates the programming of on-road AVs, enabling them to respond effectively to diverse real-world situations. Under Texas law, self-driving lorries are currently permitted on roads without human assistance. Over the next decade, Waabi and Uber Freight plan to deploy a substantial number of Waabi Driver-capable vehicles, covering billions of miles, starting in Texas and expanding across North America.

Sources:
– NASA’s Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety (SABERS) team
– Rocco Viggiano, principal investigator for SABERS at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland
– Waabi Innovation, a Toronto-based company
– Uber Freight, the United States ride-hailing company’s logistics division