(PhysOrg.com) -- A new breed of rechargeable zinc-air batteries
is soon to be available, and may replace lithium-ion batteries
in cell phones, laptops and other consumer items. Lithium-ion
batteries store only a third of the energy and cost around twice
as much as the new batteries. The Swiss company ReVolt, from
Staefa, plans to release the new batteries next year, initially
as small batteries for use in hearing aids, and later for cell
phones. Eventually much larger batteries are planned for
electric vehicles. The new battery was developed in Trondheim in
Norway by the SINTEF Group, the largest independent research
institution in Scandinavia, and ReVolt was formed to market the
device. Zinc-air batteries need oxygen from the air to generate
the current. They are safer than lithium-ion batteries because
they do not contain volatile materials, and therefore do not
catch fire. Non-rechargeable zinc-air batteries have been
available for some time, but rechargeable versions have proved
more difficult to develop.