Electrochemical vehicle power plants

The requirement of high energy density for vehicle applications leads to the selection of battery systems made up of light, highly reactive metals found in the upper-left-hand corner of the periodic table for one electrode and the light oxidizers found in the top-right-hand corner of the periodic table for the other electrode. Many of these reactive materials will react with water and hence water-based electrolytes cannot be used in such systems. Electric vehicles also require the battery to have a high power density, which further limits the use of water-based electrolytes. The parameters relevant to achieving high-energy, high-power batteries are discussed in general terms and several systems presently being studied are reviewed.