At a Time of Climate Crisis: Batteries are vital to ending fossil fuel dependence

This revolution has been made possible by big strides in battery technology, which has driven down the cost, weight and size of batteries

In this month’s column for the Irish Times MaREI researcher Dr Hannah Daly at ERI, University College Cork discusses how batteries are vital to ending fossil fuel dependence. 

Since converting my bike to an electric bike, one of the many pleasures I’ve experienced is watching friends and family discover the thrill of this revolutionary technology, that makes hills disappear and takes the effort out of cycling.

With a battery of just over one kilogram, connected to a motorised wheel, my e-bike powers my hilly, 20-kilometre commute, which takes just over an hour, a little longer than it would take to drive during rush hour. The electricity required to charge the battery is minimal – less than a typical electric shower consumes in two minutes.

Electric bikes could revolutionise transport, if roads are made safer for cyclists. This revolution has been made possible by big strides in battery technology, which has driven down the cost, weight and size of batteries. Batteries are not only essential for powering high-tech smartphones and smart devices. Now, 90 per cent of the global battery market is for the energy sector, mainly for electric vehicles, but increasingly for static energy storage.

Read the full article here.