January 29, 2006

By: Laurie Simpson
Website: http://www.1st-in-batteries.com

Lithium Batteries, Can They Be Made To Perform The Way We Need Them To?

Laptops, cell phones, and personal digital assistants allow us to work or play while we are miles away from our desks. We can be almost carefree about where we work as long as we have batteries. Many batteries that power these devices will often run down long before the sun does. Lithium batteries are one option in battery types to select from. More energy-consuming features are draining lithium batteries faster than ever before. Machines with more capabilities and speed are taxing these batteries and they do not provide the same efficiency as they once did. It is necessary to connect to an external power source or have several spare batteries if you are planning any extended use of these batteries.

One solution to the problem of lithium batteries running out quickly has been the development of rechargeable ones. The growth of technology regarding these batteries has been very slow though. It can be said that if the growth of chip technology increases sixty percent annually, lithium battery technology has increased thirty percent in a decade.

Still, the importance of compact, lightweight, and environmentally safe batteries is growing, not just as a power source for electronics tools and toys, but also as an energy-storage device for vehicles of the future. Industry-standard lithium batteries are expensive because they contain cobalt, making them practical only for small, high-value appliances. A lithium battery big enough to power an electric car would cost about $10,000, and a car with one would still have a range of less than 150 miles. Increasing the time between recharges from two to four hours wouldn’t noticeably alter the way people use them. It is necessary to go to eight or ten hours of operation without a recharge, people’s behavior will fundamentally change because that’s a workday.

For more information, see rechargeable lithium batteries.

About The Author:

Laurie Simpson is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-batteries.com.  A great resource for batteries of all kinds including camcorder, laptop, cell phone and more.