Chinese outlets are claiming that lithium-air batteries are, once again, part of the plan. And if they did exist, they could let EVs drive 1,242 miles on a single charge. Theoretically.
CATL’s Chief Scientist, Wu Kai, said that lithium-air batteries are still being researched at the 2026 Equipment Powerhouse Forum. However, it’s still in long-term research, and there is no release date in sight.
Why can’t we have lithium-air batteries right now?
The lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles store lithium between two electrodes. Lithium ions move between the anode and cathode while the battery is charging.
Lithium-air batteries, on the other hand, use metallic lithium as the negative electrode, and oxygen is the positive reactant. Lithium and oxygen react to form lithium peroxide, which releases oxygen during charging. By drawing oxygen from the surrounding area, this kind of battery has the potential for a lot more energy.
This is clearly quite tantalizing for the automotive industry. Especially in China, where reaching extremes is a very big deal. The country is producing 34.53 million vehicles per year. And those cars are not just throwaway hunks of metal. The BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme just hit 312 miles per hour.
According to Car News China, the country has been eyeing this technology for decades. IBM launched the Battery 500 project in 2009. The aim was to power electric cars for 500 miles with a metal-air battery, and then mass-produce it.
That obviously never happened.
Since then, research has continued, testing the battery’s limitations and capabilities. Right now, lithium-air batteries need oxygen but must avoid moisture and carbon dioxide. The system would require some kind of controlled air intake, filtration, humidity management… This would add weight to the EV and use up battery power.
During charging, the battery needs to remove lithium peroxide from its cathode. But this can cause oxygen to attack the electrolyte and other cell components, reducing the battery’s capacity and reliability.
It’s also unclear how fast lithium-air batteries can deliver energy to the vehicle. Poor power output would make the battery a bit useless to EVs, even if they had the alleged potential for a massive range. That potential could really mean nothing without a way to deliver it.
Research is still being done. As EVs continue to grow their presence on American highways and regulations keep changing, automakers need a way to reduce range anxiety and improve vehicle performance.
Solid-state batteries have been another ongoing idea, with many automakers hoping to equip this battery type by 2027. BYD hopes to be the first.
Honestly, I can see a 1,000-plus range being a lot more useful than a fast 0-60 sprint or reaching over 300 miles per hour. I can sorta get behind this extreme innovation.
