Let me introduce you to Trevor Jackson, an inventor, British engineer, and former Royal Navy officer. What is so remarkable about him? Here's the thing: a father of eight has invented a new kind of battery that (perhaps) will soon revolutionize the market for electric cars, electric bicycles, and more.
Trevor Jackson.
The director of Austin Electric, with which the inventor signed a contract, is confident: “This invention can provoke the next industrial revolution. The advantages over traditional batteries for electric vehicles are enormous. It is worth noting that technically this invention is more of a fuel cell than a battery: an aluminum-air battery system can generate as much energy and power as gasoline-powered cars.
So far, few people have heard of Trevor Jackson and his batteries. Although Metalectrique Ltd, a company he founded, had already invented and built a prototype of its battery ten years ago and even offered it to industrialists, it faced opposition from traditional manufacturers. Auto industry skeptics argue that Trevor's technology is unproven and its benefits are exaggerated.
These conversations are contradicted by an independent assessment by the UK government trade and investment agency in 2017, which concluded that the battery is remarkable and the manufacturing technology performed well, while producing more energy per kilogram than standard battery types. By the way, the technology has been confirmed by two French universities.
Filling new batteries.
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For the first time, this technology was tested back in 1960, but it was abandoned due to the fact that the electrolyte for such batteries turned out to be chemically dangerous. Plus, the aluminum needed for the batteries was ultra-pure. And this is where Jackson's success lies. In 2001, he developed a completely new electrolyte formula - safe and harmless. And - which is also important - the electrolyte "works" with aluminum almost from recycled beer cans.
Jackson argues that if Tesla was equipped with its aluminum-air fuel cell, which is the same size as its battery today, it could travel up to 2,500 km "on a single charge." In addition, such a battery would be six times cheaper during production.
Of course, one should probably only believe the facts, but they are not so far away either. Austin Electric intends to bring a new type of battery to the market as early as next 2020. Originally for the Asian market: for electric rickshaws, scooters and bicycles. And then the turn of the cars will come. Not so long, let's wait, we'll see. What do you think?