IBM and partners are working on solving one of the biggest barriers to widespread electric vehicle adoption: limited battery range.

Under its Battery 500 project - an effort to build a battery capable of powering a car for 500 miles - Big Blue has designed a battery that produces power by taking in oxygen and then recharges itself by expelling that oxygen.

Because its driven by the outside air, such a battery can be significantly smaller and lighter than traditional lithium ion batteries, providing a much longer life per square inch.

Most people consider switching to electric vehicles to save money on gas and contribute to a healthier environment. But "range anxiety," the fear of being stranded with no power, was cited by 64 percent of consumers as a main detractor to buying an electric vehicle.

In 2012, industry leaders with a history of electric vehicle innovation, Central Glass and Asahi Kasei, joined the project to help IBM put research on the road.

(READ the story from Wired – See how it works in the video below…)