Amazing New Battery Developed in Korea!

Intermediate | June 29, 2025

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Safer and Longer-Lasting EVs?

New Battery Overview

Exciting news from South Korea! Korean scientists develop new battery technology for electric cars that could make them much safer and last longer. This breakthrough, reported widely in the Korean media including the Korea Economic Daily on June 28th, is a big step for electric vehicle technology.

Innovative Design

This isn’t just a small improvement. Researchers at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) created a lithium metal battery with a special design. It uses a unique triple-layer material inside. Think of it like a sandwich! This helps solve some major problems with current batteries, especially regarding safety.

Solving Battery Problems

Enhanced Safety

One big issue with EV batteries has been safety, particularly the risk of fires. The new battery has a clever feature: it can put out its own fires! This self-extinguishing ability comes from special materials added to the electrolyte layer. This could give electric car owners greater peace of mind.

Improved Durability

Another challenge for electric cars is how long the battery lasts over time. This new Korean battery showed impressive results. Even after being charged and used 1,000 times, it still kept nearly 88% of its original power. This means electric cars using this battery could travel many thousands of miles before the battery starts to lose significant capacity.

Industry Efforts: Korean Scientists Develop New Battery

Besides this specific breakthrough, other Korean companies and universities are also pushing forward with new battery technologies. For example, companies like SK On and Hyundai are actively developing solid-state batteries, which promise even more improvements in range and charging speed in the future. These efforts show South Korea is really leading the charge in battery innovation.

Vocabulary

Breakthrough (noun): An important discovery or development that helps to solve a problem.
- Example: “Scientists made a major “breakthrough” in cancer research.”,
Lithium metal battery (noun): A type of rechargeable battery that uses lithium metal as the anode.
- Example: “This new electric car uses a lighter “lithium metal battery”.
Electrolyte (noun): A chemical substance that allows ions to move between the electrodes in a battery.
- Example: “The “electrolyte” is a key part of how a battery works.”,
Self-extinguishing (adjective): Able to put out a fire by itself.
- Example: “The material is “self-extinguishing”, which improves safety.”,
Longevity (noun): The ability to last for a long time.
- Example: “The “longevity” of this new battery is very impressive.”,
Capacity (noun): The maximum amount of energy a battery can store.
- Example: “After 1000 charges, the battery still had high “capacity”.
Dendrites (noun): Small, tree-like structures that can grow in batteries and cause problems.
- Example: “The new design helps prevent the formation of “dendrites”.”,
Solid-state batteries (noun): A type of battery that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte instead of liquid or polymer electrolytes.
- Example: “Many companies are researching “solid-state batteries” for the future of EVs.”,
Pilot line (noun): A small-scale production line used to test new manufacturing processes before mass production.
- Example: “The company is building a “pilot line” for the new battery technology.”,
Innovation (noun): The introduction of new things, ideas, or ways of doing something.
- Example: “This battery is a great example of scientific “innovation”.

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What are two main benefits of the new Korean battery mentioned in the article?
What specific part of the battery helps it put out fires?
How does the battery’s performance after 1,000 cycles compare to typical batteries?
Besides DGIST, which other companies are mentioned as working on advanced batteries in Korea?
Why are solid-state batteries considered important for the future of EVs?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

What do you think is the most important factor for people considering buying an electric car?
How might safer and longer-lasting batteries change the electric vehicle market?
What are some challenges that still need to be overcome for electric cars to become more common?
How does battery technology affect other devices you use, like smartphones?
Do you think your country is doing enough to support the development of new battery technology?

Related Idiom

“Leading the charge”

Meaning: To be at the forefront of an action or movement; to be the first or main group to do something.
Example: “Korean scientists are “leading the charge” in developing next-generation EV batteries.”

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This article was inspired by: Korea Economic Daily, June 28, 2025