hydride energy storage batteries have played an important role in the development of new energy vehicles, especially in the field of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

In HEVs, Ni - MH batteries are widely used due to their unique advantages. Firstly, they have relatively high power density, which enables them to quickly provide a large amount of power during vehicle acceleration and high - power output scenarios. This is crucial for ensuring the smooth start - up and high - speed driving performance of hybrid vehicles. For example, in the Toyota Prius, one of the world's most popular hybrid vehicles, Ni - MH batteries have been used for many generations. These batteries can efficiently cooperate with the vehicle's internal combustion engine. When the vehicle needs to accelerate rapidly, the Ni - MH battery can quickly release stored electrical energy to assist the engine, providing strong power support and improving the overall driving performance of the vehicle.

Secondly, Ni - MH batteries have good cycling stability. They can withstand a large number of charge - discharge cycles during the long - term use of the vehicle, which is beneficial for ensuring the long - term reliability of the vehicle's power system. In the process of daily use of hybrid vehicles, the battery needs to be charged and discharged frequently. The excellent cycling stability of Ni - MH batteries can ensure that the battery performance does not decline significantly after a long time of use, reducing the frequency of battery replacement and maintenance costs.

Moreover, Ni - MH batteries have relatively high safety. Compared with some other types of batteries, such as early lithium - ion batteries, Ni - MH batteries are less likely to have safety issues such as thermal runaway and explosion. This is very important for vehicle applications, as vehicle safety is a top priority.

However, Ni - MH batteries also have some limitations in new energy vehicle applications. Their energy density is lower than that of some advanced lithium - ion batteries, which may limit the pure - electric driving range of hybrid vehicles. In addition, the cost of Ni - MH batteries is relatively high, which to some extent affects the cost - effectiveness of hybrid vehicles.

With the continuous development of new energy vehicle technology, although lithium - ion batteries are becoming more and more dominant in the field of electric vehicles, Ni - MH batteries will still have a certain market share in the hybrid vehicle market in the short to medium term due to their unique advantages. In the future, with the improvement of Ni - MH battery technology, such as the increase in energy density and the reduction in cost, they may also have the opportunity to expand their application scope in new energy vehicles.