Coin-sized nuclear 3V battery with 50-year lifespan enters mass production

[BADecker]

Something to look forward to: A Chinese battery manufacturer has developed a breakthrough, sparking a worldwide race for compact nuclear energy. The innovation is a small coin-sized battery powered by a radioactive nickel isotope that decays into stable copper. While the initial cell is relatively weak, it can easily be layered to provide more power for up to 50 years.

Energy storage technology has reached a transformative milestone as the BV100, a miniature atomic energy battery, enters mass production. Popular Mechanics notes that the coin-sized cell from Beijing Betavolt New Energy Technology can provide juice lasting up to 50 years without charging or maintenance.


Coin-sized nuclear 3V battery with 50-year lifespan enters mass production

[NotFuzzyWarm]

How about this being a 50 year old invention... Coin size isotope-powered battery cells have been in production since the mid 1960's but never caught on because aside from lifetime they gave no advantage over conventional chemical cells that justified their price.

[DediRock]

That nuclear battery sounds like sci-fi becoming real—50 years of power in coin size is huge. Let’s hope safety and ethics stay as advanced as the tech.