Recently, IonQ, an American quantum computing startup, announced a partnership with Hyundai Motor Company to use quantum computing to simulate the chemical reaction of lithium batteries and promote battery innovation in electric vehicles.
Image from IonQ's official website
Batteries are often the most expensive components of electric vehicles, so many international manufacturers are committed to the production and development of new energy batteries. For example, CATL recently released the power exchange service brand EVOGO to achieve shared power exchange, of which the "chocolate power exchange block" uses the latest CTP technology of CATL times. Another example is the Vietnamese car company VinFast, which plans to build a battery factory for electric vehicles in the United States.
How to improve the battery quality of electric vehicles, reduce battery production costs, and optimize innovative battery raw materials, these aspects of research have international market value and potential. But the development of electric batteries is also limited by classical computing. The emerging field of quantum computing provides the conditions for the in-depth study of lithium compounds and advanced simulation of chemical reactions.
In collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company, IonQ will jointly develop a new variational quantum eigenvalue solver (VQE) algorithm to study lithium compounds and their chemical reactions in battery chemistry. Among them, IonQ will use its expertise in quantum computing, and Hyundai Motor will use its expertise in lithium batteries to jointly develop the most advanced battery chemistry model on quantum computers.
Quantum computing has the ability to efficiently simulate and analyze chemical reactions. Quantum-driven chemical simulation technology will improve the charge and discharge cycle, durability, capacity, safety, etc. of the new generation of lithium batteries, which is expected to greatly improve their performance.
The two companies are experimenting with using quantum computing to more precisely simulate and control the chemical reactions of lithium batteries, laying the groundwork for making better automotive batteries. This research has the potential to develop new battery raw materials that are more time- and cost-effective in the coming years, and could affect the future direction of electric vehicle batteries.
"This creative collaboration with IonQ promises innovations in providing basic materials for future components in transportation in a simulated environment." TaeWon Lim, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Group, said, "We are excited to enter the coming quantum era and take an advantageous position by manufacturing more efficient batteries. ”
This cooperation is also an important part of Hyundai Motor's "Strategy 2025". The strategy includes hyundai's annual electric vehicle sales of 560,000 units by 2025 and the launch of more than 12 pure electric vehicle (BEV) models. In addition, the partnership is an important milestone in the fight against climate change, with electric vehicles playing a key role in achieving global sustainability goals.
"IonQ's mission is to solve the world's most complex problems through the ongoing development of quantum computers. We can use quantum chemistry solutions to help solve the problem of global climate change. Peter Chapman, president and CEO of IonQ, said, "Battery efficiency is one of the most promising emerging areas where quantum computing can play a role. We are excited to partner with Hyundai Motor Company on this project to promote electric vehicles as the world's leading mode of transportation." ”
IonQ has made many breakthroughs in the field of quantum chemistry. The company's quantum computers have been used to simulate water molecules, one of the earliest use cases for quantum computing in chemical applications. It was later used to demonstrate macromolecules in end-to-end pipelines to simulate molecules formed in fertilizer production.