Skip to main content

Calcium might be the key to super-efficient liquid battery technology

Liquid batteries, developed by MIT professor Donald Sadoway, are an exciting new battery technology that allows batteries to hold large amounts of energy for up to 12 hours, and discharge it slowly over time, making it an attractive storage option for renewable energy systems. Now Sadoway and his team have developed a new liquid battery matrix that promises to make the battery even more efficient and affordable for users.

Developed by Sadoway and commercialized by Ambri, liquid power cells are unique because all the components are in a liquid state during operation. The batteries originally used magnesium as the negative electrode and antimony as the positive electrode along with a low-cost molten salt electrolyte. The new battery technology uses calcium, which is of course a fairly abundant and affordable chemical, for both the electrodes and the molten salt inside the battery.

Recommended Videos

liquid-battery-diagramCalcium was a complex chemical to work with because it dissolves quickly in salt, making it challenging to use in a liquid battery, which requires three separate liquid layers that remain distinct while still functioning together as a battery. Calcium also has a high melting point that theoretically required the battery to operate at 900 degrees Celsius. “It was the most difficult chemistry,” said Sadonway, who is the John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry at MIT.

To overcome the heating issue, the team mixed magnesium with the calcium when creating the liquid electrodes. Magnesium has a much lower melting point, allowing the battery to operate at significantly lower temperatures. The team also developed a new formulation for the battery’s inner electrolyte layer, which provides the matrix for the transfer of ions between the electrodes. The new salt-based formulation uses lithium chloride and calcium chloride, and this permits ion exchange at a significantly higher rate than the previously developed liquid battery technology.

The new lithium electrolyte has a second, unexpected side benefit — besides lowering the operating temperature and boosting battery output, it also helps maintain the tri-layer nature of the power cell by preventing the calcium-magnesium electrodes from dissolving in the salt. And perhaps the biggest advantage to this new liquid battery is from the supply side of the technology. Both calcium and magnesium are mined together and expensive to separate. Since these new batteries use calcium and magnesium together, producing the batteries is much more affordable.

Sadoway and his team note that this new formulation is a starting point for a new field of battery technology. The team hopes this work will inspire other scientists to explore other chemical combinations that are efficient at conducting electricity and are even more affordable to produce. “The lesson here is to explore different chemistries and be ready for changing market conditions,” Sadoway says.

Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more