As car manufacturers and battery cell makers race to develop more efficient and faster-charging EV batteries, there’s one material that’s been gaining significant traction in replacing mainstream graphite in the battery’s anode: silicon. That’s because silicon has a theoretical energy capacity 10 times higher than that of graphite, meaning it can significantly increase an EV’s range. It can also absorb lithium-ions much quicker during charging — speeding up the process. But adding silicon to the anode comes with certain challenges. The material’s tendency to expand approximately 400% of its original size during the charging cycle can cause the silicon particles…

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