PROSPECTIVE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In the context of the global energy transition and growing climate challenges associated with greenhouse gas emissions, the development of highly efficient and environmentally friendly energy storage technologies is becoming increasingly important. This area is crucial both for the integration of renewable energy sources into modern power systems and for ensuring the sustainable operation of electric transportation, particularly electric vehicles (EVs). The transportation sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by innovations aimed at electrification and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. At the same time, the performance and competitiveness of electric vehicles largely depend on the advancement of energy storage systems, which must offer high specific energy density, long service life, fast charging capabilities, stable performance under a wide range of temperatures, as well as safety and minimal environmental impact. Currently, lithium-ion batteries dominate the electric vehicle (EV) sector due to their optimal combination of high energy density, charge/discharge efficiency, lifespan, and, as a result, a favorable cost-to-performance ratio. However, they are not without technical, economic, and environmental limitations, which drives active scientific efforts to explore alternative technologies such as solid-state batteries, sodium-ion systems, lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries, supercapacitors, and hybrid solutions combining batteries with regenerative fuel cells or supercapacitors. In this context, this review focuses on systematizing modern and emerging energy storage technologies, analyzing their potential for application in electric transport, and identifying the main challenges and directions for further scientific research and development in this field. Promising energy storage technologies open up new opportunities but require overcoming a number of scientific, technical, and economic barriers. The combination of batteries with supercapacitors or fuel cells allows for achieving an optimal balance between power, energy density, and lifespan.