The transition toward clean energy is typically framed as a choice between the old world of oil and the new world of the lithium-ion battery. However, as the climate clock ticks toward an inflection point, a third path is emerging from a laboratory in Plymouth.
At the center of this shift is Trevor Jackson, a former Royal Navy engineer whose company, Metalectrique, is challenging the very foundation of the electric vehicle industry. Jackson, who once designed nuclear reactor repair equipment for Rolls-Royce, has poked holes in the mainstream use of lithium batteries in cars, describing it less as an engineering triumph and more as a victory for mining conglomerates.
Nearing the tipping point
The current push for electric vehicles (EVs) rests almost entirely on lithium-ion batteries. While these have helped start the conversation, Jackson points out the hidden environmental price of this path.
For Jackson, the UK does not have sufficient energy generation capacity to make a total switch to rechargeable cars. Converting all 35 million vehicles in the UK to rechargeable lithium batteries will place a staggering burden on the electrical grid, potentially requiring 15 new nuclear power plants to handle the charging demand.
Apart from the energy demands of charging batteries, the mining and recycling of lithium and cobalt pose significant ecological challenges. Jackson opines that the world is moving toward a technical blind alley, with mining companies keen on making a profit, pushing a narrative of lithium’s importance.
“In my opinion, the choice of Lithium wasn’t made by engineers,” said Jackson. “It was made by mining companies who just want to sell Lithium and Cobalt.”
Metalectrique: A breakthrough for the common good
Jackson’s work at Metalectrique involves the use of aluminum, a metal that is already fully integrated into global recycling systems, as an energy source for EVs. Particularly, Jackson’s solution is an aluminum-air fuel cell, a non-rechargeable electrochemical cell capable of generating electricity.
Operating as a “semi-fuel cell,” Jackson noted that the solution has an extended range that is nine times superior to lithium batteries. He pointed to the successes recorded in the use of aluminum as solid rocket boosters, eyeing its utility with EVs.
The science behind the aluminum-air fuel cell has existed for decades, but it was historically held back by a toxic, caustic electrolyte. Jackson’s defining achievement is the invention of a proprietary, non-toxic electrolyte, effectively unlocking aluminum as a safe fuel source for the first time.
“We are the only Aluminum-Air company with this special electrolyte,” added Jackson. “All others use toxic and dangerous potassium hydroxide, which is 40-50% efficient and needs pure aluminium to run, which makes it unaffordable.”
With Metalectrique’s results, the implications for the planet are profound. Weight for weight, the system produces nine times the energy of lithium. For the average person, this means that an electric vehicle can travel 1,500 miles on a single tank and refuel in ninety seconds by swapping out aluminum modules.
Engineering a circular future
The beauty of the Metalectrique mission lies in its “closed-loop” cycle. When the aluminum in the fuel cell is depleted, it turns into aluminum hydroxide.
This byproduct is collected during the refueling swap and sent back to the smelters, many of which are already powered by clean energy like hydro or geothermal, to be turned back into fresh aluminum.
By utilizing the existing aluminum infrastructure, Metalectrique’s solution sidesteps the need for a trillion-dollar overhaul of the power grid. With accessibility at the heart of the operations, the solution costs 8p per mile compared to 50p per mile with lithium batteries
Not a walk in the park for Metalectrique
While Metalectrique faces an uphill climb going mainstream with its products, Jackson is tinkering with several solutions. Since all EV drivers require more range, Metalectrique is mulling providing its solution as an aftermarket addition in the boot of vehicles.
Furthermore, Metalectrique will retrofit the Renault Zoë, driving long distances in several publicity events to prove its real-world impact.
To put the technology on the field, Jackson is seeking funds to acquire production equipment. He added that donors will have access to a supporters portal on Metalectrique’s website, hinting that donors will be invited to interactive events to “get hands-on with the technology.”
A bird’s-eye view reveals that Metalectrique is more than an engineering project. It is a vision of how human ingenuity, when applied with a sense of global responsibility, can solve the most daunting challenge of our time.
