The Development of Aluminum-Air Batteries for Electric Vehicles

The aluminum-air battery has unique features that make it an attractive candidate as a power source in an electric vehicle. The energy and power densities of the battery can provide driving ranges comparable to those of the internal combustion engine. The battery is a multi-component system as will be described and any development program must focus upon the several challenges:

1. (a)
   the need for high performance electrodes
2. (b)
   a cell design that allows rapid replacement of the anode, and
3. (c)
   separation of the solid product from the electrolyte.