South 8 Technologies, the developer of LiGas, a liquefied gas electrolyte for advanced lithium-ion batteries, announced that LiGas has been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 in the Green Energy category. The annual list highlights 200 innovations changing lives around the world.
“We are honored to be selected as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. Our co-founders Cyrus Rustomji and Jungwoo Lee invented LiGas, and this recognition validates its potential to improve the safety, performance, and cost of Li-ion batteries,” said Tom Stepien, CEO of South 8. “As Li-ion batteries become more widespread in our devices, vehicles and stationary systems concerns about their safety and cost grow. LiGas is well positioned to directly address these pain points and help enable a clean energy future.”
Traditional lithium-ion batteries contain flammable liquid electrolytes that mostly operate safely between 0°C to 45°C and can freeze at -20°C. LiGas is a liquefied gas electrolyte with high electrical conductivity and low viscosity, enhancing battery performance in extreme environments from -60°C to +60°C. If a battery cell is damaged or punctured, LiGas burns off immediately, virtually eliminating thermal propagation and significantly reducing the risk of thermal runaway and fires. Additionally, LiGas is fully recyclable, unlike traditional liquid electrolytes.
TIME solicited nominations from editors and correspondents worldwide to compile this year’s list, paying special attention to growing fields such as healthcare, AI, and green energy. Contenders were evaluated on originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.
South 8 Technologies
South 8 solves lithium-ion’s “fire and ice” problems with LiGas, a patented liquefied gas electrolyte. LiGas reduces lithium-ion fire risk and operates from -60°C to +60°C, enabling clean battery power for more applications, environments, and people. The San Diego-based company has been granted 39 patents across seven countries and jurisdictions.
Source: Business Wire, TIME Magazine
