American and European companies are racing to develop new batteries for electric vehicles using two readily available and less costly materials: sodium and sulfur.
美国和欧洲的公司正竞相使用两种现成且成本更低的材料：钠和硫来开发新的电动汽车电池。
 
The new batteries could help bring more electric vehicles, or EVs, to the market and reduce China's lead in battery production.
/> 新电池可能有助于将更多电动汽车或 EV 推向市场，并减少中国在电池生产中的铅含量。
 
Today's EVs run on lithium-ion batteries which cost about $10,000 to $12,000 to make. They are mostly made with lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel. And the materials have increased in price during the last two years.
今天的电动汽车使用锂离子电池，制造成本约为 10,000 至 12,000 美元。它们主要由锂、钴、锰和镍制成。在过去两年中，材料价格上涨。
 
The new batteries under development could cost one-third to two-thirds less. But their promise depends on overcoming difficulties in working with the materials. Sodium does not hold as much energy, while sulfur can easily damage key parts of a battery.
正在开发的新电池的成本可能会降低三分之一到三分之二。但他们的希望取决于克服使用材料的困难。钠不能储存那么多的能量，而硫很容易损坏电池的关键部件。
 
Still, companies have brought in millions of dollars and government support to develop new kinds of batteries - called sodium-ion or lithium-sulfur.
尽管如此，公司还是投入了数百万美元和政府支持来开发新型电池 - 称为钠离子电池或锂硫电池。
 
Lithium-sulfur batteries
锂硫电池
 
Several firms in the United States, Germany, and Norway are developing lithium-sulfur batteries that do not need the costly nickel or cobalt. They include Lyten and Conamix in the U.S., Germany's Theion and Norway's Morrow.
几家公司美国、德国和挪威正在开发不需要昂贵的镍或钴的锂硫电池。它们包括美国的 Lyten 和 Conamix，德国的 Theion 和挪威的 Morrow。
 
Ulrich Ehmes is the chief executive of Theion in Berlin, Germany. He says sulfur is so corrosive that it kills a battery after 30 charges. But he said the company has developed a way to protect the lithium-sulfur electrode so it can last an EV's lifetime. An electrode is an element through which electricity flows into or out of a battery or other device.
Ulrich Ehmes 是德国柏林 Theion 的首席执行官。他说硫磺的腐蚀性很强，充电 30 次后电池就会坏掉。但他表示，该公司已经开发出一种保护锂硫电极的方法，因此它可以延长电动汽车的使用寿命。电极是一种元件，电流通过它流入或流出电池或其他设备。
 
Ehmes believes its lithium-sulfur batteries could hold three times more energy than the most powerful lithium-ion batteries. He says sulfur batteries charge very fast and cut battery costs by two-thirds. Current lithium-ion batteries generally keep their power for 160,000 to 320,000 kilometers of driving.
Ehmes 相信其锂硫电池的能量是最强大的锂离子电池的三倍。他说，硫电池充电速度非常快，可以将电池成本降低三分之二。目前的锂离子电池一般能保持16万至32万公里的续航里程。
 
"It's cheap, it's high energy density, so it seems to be a no-brainer," Ehmes said.
Ehmes 说：“它很便宜，而且能量密度高，所以看起来很简单。”
 
Ehmes said the company plans to begin tests with automakers in 2024. And he expects the first production for EV use around 2027.
Ehmes 说该公司计划在 2024 年开始与汽车制造商进行测试。他预计第一批产品2027 年左右用于电动汽车。
 
Sodium-ion batteries
钠离子电池
 
U.S.-based Amandarry and British company AMTE Power are developing sodium-ion batteries. They do not need cobalt, nickel, and even lithium which are the three most expensive battery materials.
总部位于美国的 Amandarry 和英国公司 AMTE Power 正在开发钠离子电池。他们不需要钴、镍，甚至锂这三种最昂贵的电池材料。
 
Sodium-ion batteries could be useful for EVs that require less power.
钠离子电池可用于需要较少功率的电动汽车。
 
Amy Chen is an executive at Amandarry. She said the first use of its batteries will likely be electric two-wheelers. In addition to lower cost, Chen said Amandarry's batteries can charge really fast — 80 percent in 15 minutes.
Amy Chen 是 Amandarry 的高管。她说，首次使用其电池的可能是电动两轮车。 Chen 表示，除了成本较低外，Amandarry 的电池充电速度非常快——15 分钟即可充电 80%。
 
AMTE Power chief Kevin Brundish said his company is planning to launch its batteries for storage systems where energy demand is lower.
AMTE Power 首席执行官 Kevin Brundish 表示，他的公司正计划推出用于能源需求较低的存储系统的电池。
 
Some Asian firms are also working on these new kinds of batteries.
一些亚洲公司也在研究这些新型电池。
 
China's CATL has said it plans to begin producing sodium-ion batteries in 2023. And Korea's LG Energy Solution aims to start making lithium-sulfur batteries by 2025.
/>中国宁德时代表示，计划2023年开始生产钠离子电池。韩国LG
 
Some automakers are testing new types of batteries and keeping an eye on their development.
一些汽车制造商正在测试新型电池并密切关注它们的发展。
 
"Over time, more (battery) chemistries will come out," said Linda Zhang, chief engineer on Ford's F150 Lightning electric truck. "It would be silly not to take advantage of those chemistries."
“随着时间的推移，将会出现更多（电池）化学物质，”福特 F150 Lightning 电动卡车的总工程师 Linda Zhang 说。 . “不利用这些化学物质是愚蠢的。”