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This paper discusses rechargeable nickel-zinc battery development for consumer and mobile applications such as electric bicycles, scooters and hybrid and electric vehicles. Nickel-zinc battery performance has been improved through the development of a reduced solubility zinc electrode and a patented sealed cell design. Deep cycle capability has been increased to 600 cycles while maintaining a high specific energy up to 60 Watt-hours per kilogram. Nickel-zinc provides a commercially viable alternative for lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride for many applications.

Nickel and silver-metal hydride batteries are being developed for aerospace applications by Eagle-Picher. Metal hydride batteries offer a number of advantages over other aerospace battery systems. Nickel-metal hydride batteries have twice the gravimetric energy density of nickel-cadmium and twice the volumetric energy density of nickel-hydrogen. Silver-metal hydride batteries have the potential of three times the energy density of nickel-metal hydride and exhibit superior charge retention characteristics. Aerospace metal hydride batteries are hermetically sealed, operate at low pressure and are prismatic in geometry. They exhibit excellent overcharge and overdischarge capability. Preliminary calorimetry data indicates superior thermal performance as compared to nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen batteries. Some initial AC impedance spectroscopy work has been completed on both metal-hydrogen and metal-hydride battery systems.