ZPower has developed silver-zinc batteries for use in notebooks and mobile devices. It is showcasing the new battery technology at Intel Developer Forum. The company says that the silver-zinc chemistry offers 40 percent more runtime than traditional lithium-ion batteries, along with environmental and safety advantages.
Over 95% of material used in the silver-zinc batteries can be recycled and reused. Environmental impact is lessened since the need to mine for new materials is minimized. ZPower will be one of the first companies to offer financial incentives to consumers who recycle their silver-zinc batteries.
The new batteries are also safer than other batteries currently used for portable devices. Silver-zinc batteries contain no lithium and are inherently safe. Also, the new technology has water-based chemistry that is not flammable. The battery is therefore free from the problems of thermal runaway and fire. So you won’t have exploding Dell laptop or iPod nanos anymore.
ZPower says that major notebook manufacturers will roll out laptop based on the technology in 2009. The notebooks will be dual chemistry enabled, which means it will work with either silver or lithium-ion batteries. You won’t be able to replace your present notebook’s lithium-ion batteries with the new silver-zinc batteries. Notebook makers will offer the silver-zinc battery as a premium option for extended battery life.
[Via ZPower]