What will be the battery after the lithium-ion battery era? When will it be available? The answer seems to be difficult to give, because the technology is moving so fast! What do the experts think?
Sodium, magnesium, calcium, aluminum – these are all candidates for the "post-lithium era". In order to reduce the dependence on the relatively rare and expensive metal "lithium", many research and development projects are actively pursuing to improve the main characteristics of batteries, especially storage capacity and charging performance. Of course, there are still some exciting new developments in the field of lithium-ion batteries.
Sodium-ion batteries are surprising
This year, there is an alternative technology that sensationalizes the industry - CATL released the first generation of sodium-ion batteries and announced mass production in 2023. This is really surprising because the energy density of sodium-ion batteries is slightly lower compared to lithium-ion technology.
Ningde era sodium ion battery (image source: Ningde era)
Based on a series of major breakthroughs in the material system, CATL claims that its sodium-ion battery has the advantages of high energy density, high rate charging, excellent thermal stability, good low temperature performance and high integration efficiency, and its cell cell energy density is as high as 160Wh/kg, and its low temperature performance and thermal stability are excellent.
According to the Cataline era, the next generation of sodium-ion batteries should be able to match lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy density. In addition, the company is also developing a "lithium-sodium mix-and-match battery pack" for lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries to take advantage of both technologies at the same time.
Post-lithium magnesium battery stack
For the choice of battery cathode materials, in addition to sodium, calcium, aluminum, magnesium is also very promising.
The highly integrated POLIS (Post-Lithium Storage) is a collaborative project between the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Ulm to conduct research at the jointly established Helmholtz Institute Ulm Laboratory (HIU). Professor Maximilian Fichtner, a spokesman for HIU, said: "At the moment we are still in the research phase, but the first magnesium battery stacks will soon be produced".
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Ulm set up the Ulm Research Laboratory of the Helmholtz Institute to conduct battery research (Image: KIT)
Solid-state batteries are also a new option
Another potential "candidate" or "contender" for lithium-ion batteries is lithium metal batteries. RESEARCHERS AT KIT and HIU are also working on lithium-metal batteries, which are relatively compact and lighter, have a higher energy density (about 50 percent higher), shorter charging times (50 percent shorter), and are very safe because it doesn't contain any liquid electrolytes.
RESEARCHERS AT KIT and HIU ARE WORKING ON NEW COMPONENTS OF LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES (Image: KIT/HIU)
Companies such as BlueSolutions, Quantum Scape and Solid Power are also working with OEMs such as BMW, Ford, Mercedes, and Volkswagen to develop lithium-metal batteries. Although mass production is unlikely in recent years, BMW hopes to be ready for the market within a decade.
The turning point of lithium iron phosphate batteries
Another alternative to lithium-ion batteries has been used in cars, buses and electric forklifts for more than a decade, such as BYD's lithium iron phosphate batteries, which have lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries, but are safer and cheaper materials.
CATL now also produces lithium iron phosphate batteries and supplies them to Tesla's Chinese factory. Since July 2020, the Model 3 has been configured with lithium iron phosphate batteries. Typically only 25% of the volume of the battery is energy storage material, and in the new lithium iron phosphate battery, the energy storage material occupies a significantly more volume, which means that the use of a slightly weaker but possibly safer or cheaper storage material can also achieve the same range as lithium-ion batteries.
Increase density and use cheaper storage materials
BYD showed the innovation of lithium iron phosphate batteries in its own car: "Han" is equipped with "blade" batteries with a nominal cruising range of more than 600 kilometers.
BYD blade battery (Image source: BYD)
Professor Fichtner affirmed: "In my opinion, this car is a real game changer. The structural design of the blade battery is very unique, the volume energy density is significantly increased by 50% compared with the traditional lithium iron battery, the heat production is less during the short circuit, the heat dissipation is fast, the battery is safer, the mileage is longer, and the material is cheaper. "Han" is already selling in Norway, and other European markets will follow suit.
Expect innovations in positive and negative electrode materials
Advances in positive and negative electrode materials show that lithium-ion battery technology still has a lot of potential.
Recently, researchers at KIT and HIU demonstrated a new type of lithium-metal battery, a layered anode material rich in nickel and low cobalt and its matching electrolyte, which not only achieves a high energy density of 560Wh/kg, but also changes the safety weakness of such batteries, with very high stability.
Porsche and Customcells are moving in a similar direction, with cellforce, co-founded by the two companies, producing lithium-ion batteries for racing cars in Tübingen. They used silicon as a cathode material, allowing new cells to exert higher power density and smaller footprint than the high-quality tandem batteries currently on the market.
For next-generation batteries, BASF has developed a high-energy nickel-cobalt lithium manganese oxide (NCM) cathode material that enables higher energy density and faster charging.
Multiple possibilities for future markets
In view of these advances, Tobias Placke, head of the materials department of the MEET Battery Research Center, said: "Lithium-ion batteries will still dominate the electric vehicle industry at least the next decade, lithium metal batteries are full of hope in the future, as a solid-state battery with polymer and ceramic electrolyte, it can achieve high energy and high safety, thus achieving the long endurance of electric vehicles." ”
Frank Seuster, a partner at Porsche Consulting, said: "In the further development of lithium-ion batteries, we see the potential to use anode materials with high silicon content. Solid-state battery technology is also very promising. ”
Even if all the technical elements meet expectations, including price and safety, whether such a battery wins the market depends on other factors. Professor Fichtner said: "Batteries must be able to be mass-produced reliably and with high quality. ”
Frank Seuster is convinced that there will not be only one winner in the future: "There will be different battery research centers focusing on different applications, and there will be many possibilities in the future." ”
Source: The Future of Mobility