Twin sisters have developed a battery unlike any other — and the cost-effective cell using agricultural waste could ultimately make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible.
As detailed by Autodesk, Nishita and Nikita Baliarsingh, co-founders of Nexus Power, are passionate about reversing environmental problems associated with human activities.
Electronic waste is an increasingly pressing concern as the fastest-growing waste stream globally, and EVs contribute to the problem.
While EVs account for significantly less heat-trapping pollution than gas-powered vehicles over their life cycles and using home solar panels to charge EVs can further maximize their eco-friendliness and cost savings, mining and end-of-life battery care are areas to clean up.
Nikita told Autodesk that she and her sister focused on developing a battery alternative because batteries are one of the most harmful and wasteful components of the EV production cycle.
Most EVs use some type of lithium battery, and lithium mining — while less energy-intensive than extracting dirty fuels — can contaminate water sources. EV batteries also contain heavy metals linked to various organ cancers, and they frequently end up in landfills.
"We started doing research in materials which are electrochemically charged and can therefore work as batteries, but aren't as harmful as lithium," Nikita said.
The breakthrough came at home during COVID-19 lockdowns after the sisters saw a line in a research paper that suggested certain proteins could be effective battery electrolytes.
Nishita and Nikita made their first 5-volt prototype out of chickpeas and kidney beans, common ingredients in most Indian households. "We collected some crop residue, extracted our proteins out of it and then made a new generation of batteries very successfully," Nikita said.
The discovery led to the birth of Nexus Power, which produces rechargeable, biodegradable batteries out of crop stubble. Nikita explained to Autodesk that crop stubble is something farmers frequently burn to clear their fields before the next planting.
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They're better than gas cars 🔌 However, Nexus Power harnesses that abundant raw material, preventing harmful emissions from crop burning by transforming the stubble into high-performance batteries that perform up to 25% better than comparable models.
The manufacturing process is compatible with existing machines and equipment. Once the battery's cathode/anode/mixture structure can't perform, it can be tossed into a compost pile after being separated from plastic and metal components.
Nexus Power is targeting a commercial rollout of its batteries within a year, and it is running large-scale trials to develop a pilot manufacturing plan and obtain the necessary certifications.
"We're trying to build the thesis and the market's conviction about the product," Nikita told Autodesk, one of her company's partners. "It's going to be a transition from available infrastructure to batteries with a different chemistry, so the plan is to have enough pedigree to make sure buyers are readily available and open to accepting the change."
The co-founders didn't provide a potential timeline regarding when their technology could go international, but in the meantime, North Americans can take advantage of existing technologies to ensure their EV ownership experience is as eco-friendly and cost-effective as possible.
A booming EV market offers a wide variety of new and used vehicles to choose from, while EnergySage is a TCD-vetted resource to obtain comparable solar system quotes from trusted installers.
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