How far is the standardization of power batteries? The trend of large cylindrical + semi-solid state is emerging

　　"Among the more than 20 models of the three major brands (Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet) on the Autonen electric vehicle platform, we will eventually narrow the cell size to 3 sizes." At the 5th New Energy Vehicle and Power Battery (CIBF2024 Chongqing) International Exchange Conference - "Focus on Solid-state, Semi-solid-State, Discussion on the Trend of Battery Standardization" roundtable dialogue, Bai Yang, senior technical manager of Pan Asia Automobile (the automotive design and development center established by General Motors and SAIC Group), said that the large number of battery size standards is a major pain point faced by OEMs in recent years, and battery size standardization is very important.

　　In the early stage of the development of new energy vehicles, the product development needs of various OEMs and battery companies are different, and based on the matching of performance and different application scenarios, the battery specifications are different and the sizes are varied.

　　In the discussion, Bai Yang believed that the standardization of battery cells will be realized in the end, mainly because the advantages of battery size standardization have been very obvious:

　　· First of all, the size of the battery will be standardized, and the investment in the production line of battery and equipment enterprises will be reduced, reducing the cost of production line development, replacement funds and time.

　　· Secondly, for OEMs, after the standardization of batteries, the development of vehicle platforms is more convenient, which can reduce the development cost of electric vehicles, give end customers a better product experience, and facilitate car companies to upgrade the structure of the new generation.

　　· In addition, standardized batteries can be mass-produced to match different models and even different car companies, which not only reduces the cost of battery production, but also reduces the inventory risk of battery manufacturers.

　　· Finally, from the perspective of cascade utilization and recycling of retired batteries, standardized batteries are more conducive to retirement management.

　　Baiyang believes that battery standardization needs to be promoted by battery companies, OEMs, industry organizations and the state, and hopes that the entire industry will eventually form a battery size of less than ten specifications.

The picture shows the roundtable dialogue on "Focusing on Solid-State, Semi-Solid-State, and Discussion on the Trend of Battery Standardization".

01

The 46 series cylindrical battery may be one of the standardized optimal solutions

　　In the roundtable dialogue, Wang Fang, chief scientist of China Automotive Center, also said that after years of market and product verification, the current cell size has gradually stabilized, and some typical sizes have been widely recognized by the industry and will gradually be included in relevant standards in the future.

　　It is worth mentioning that the domestic battery company Zhengli New Energy has joined hands with multinational car companies to promote the "standardization of battery cells and the platformization of battery packs". The standardized battery cells and platform-based battery packs of Zhengli Xinneng PHEV have been installed on GM's new Buick GL8 Luzun PHEV model. In addition, Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen and other international mainstream car companies have also begun to take action in the standardization of battery cells in recent years. Among them, Tesla, BMW and other car companies have finalized the 46 series cylindrical size in the cylindrical form; Volkswagen has introduced its own standard battery cells on prismatic batteries.

　　According to Battery China, in recent years, domestic battery companies are also committed to seeking the "optimal solution" for battery standardization, including Zhengli New Energy, EVE Lithium Energy, Lishen Battery, BAK Battery, etc., all betting on 46 series cylindrical batteries.

　　"The Qilong cylindrical battery pack launched by the company in April this year is also based on the consideration of future battery standardization." Yu Zhexun, chief product officer of Zhengli New Energy, said that the 46 series cylindrical battery is more and more favored by the mid-to-high-end passenger car market due to its relatively small single energy, high safety, good compatibility with the ultimate chemical system, easy standardization, convenient large-scale manufacturing, and flexible grouping.

　　The size of the 46 series cylindrical battery cell adopts a standardized diameter of 46mm, and the height covers 80mm-125mm, which can meet the needs of different models for energy and battery pack space, and has strong adaptability and compatibility.

　　Yu Zhexun pointed out that the standardized battery cells can not only meet the development of different models, but also facilitate the performance upgrade and iteration of the whole vehicle, "by replacing the battery cells equipped with different chemical systems, and then achieve a significant improvement in the performance of the whole package, which will also be a direction for the future development of batteries and vehicles." ”

　　It is reported that Zhengli Xinneng takes the 46 series cylindrical battery as one of the standard cells launched by the company, and also applies the company's self-developed ipsilateral tab technology, which greatly shortens the electronic transmission path by 80%, reduces the ohmic impedance by 30%, has a stronger charge and discharge rate, and has a higher volume utilization rate, which can meet the extreme power needs of high-end passenger cars. At the same time, Zhengli Xinneng upgraded the traditional fluoroelastomer sealing ring design to etching nano injection molding technology (extreme cap technology), which can reduce the cost by 10% compared with the traditional top cover integration technology; The PPS is combined with the top cover and the surface of the pole to form a nano-scale anchor structure and chemical bonds, and the air tightness of helium detection is 100 times that of the traditional sealing ring, thus improving the space utilization rate and the reliability of the whole life cycle of the cell.

02

Semi-solid-state batteries were the first to be introduced

The energy density of the battery has entered the era of 300Wh/kg+

　　Long battery life, fast charging, high safety and high energy density are the uninterrupted pursuit of power battery performance by OEMs. Compared with liquid lithium batteries, semi-solid-state batteries have less electrolyte content, higher safety, and stronger compatibility with aggressive chemical materials, so they are regarded by the industry as an important path to break through the energy density ceiling of liquid batteries.

　　According to incomplete statistics from battery China, at present, a number of battery companies, including Zhengli New Energy, Qingtao Energy, Weilan New Energy, Funeng Technology, Lishen Battery, BAK Battery, etc., have announced the progress of their semi-solid-state battery technology research and development or mass production, and the "tuyere" of semi-solid-state battery has been opened.

　　It is worth mentioning that in the research and development of semi-solid-state battery technology, Zhengli New Energy has carried out positive development in combination with cell standardization, and took the lead in launching the industry's first dual semi-solid-state ultra-long-lasting large cylindrical battery, with an energy density of 306Wh/kg.

　　In the roundtable dialogue, Yu Zhexun pointed out that the improvement of battery energy density is mainly achieved through the iteration of the positive and negative electrode material system, and the 46 series double semi-solid cylindrical battery of Zhengli New Energy adopts the material system of ultra-high nickel cathode + high silicon anode, which achieves an energy density much higher than that of the mainstream battery system at this stage.

　　According to Yu Zhexun, Zhengli New Energy's dual semi-solid-state battery technology includes solid-state electrolyte surface modification technology of ultra-high nickel cathode materials, as well as solid-state electrolyte composite separator technology. Based on the dual semi-solid-state technology, on the one hand, the initial failure temperature of the battery is increased by 10°C, and the maximum temperature after failure is reduced by 150°C, and the safety performance is effectively improved. On the other hand, in terms of power performance, the low temperature power of minus 20 °C is increased by 20%, which makes it have good low temperature discharge performance.

　　In addition, the semi-solid-state battery technology has a relatively high compatibility with the existing lithium battery manufacturing process, which can achieve industrialization faster.

　　In terms of the iteration of the energy density of semi-solid-state batteries, Yu Zhexun revealed that in the future, Zhengli New Energy will also introduce new cathode materials with a gram capacity greater than 250mAh/g or even more than 300mAh/g, such as layered lithium-rich manganese, etc., to achieve continuous breakthroughs in battery energy density.

　　Battery China has learned that Zhengli New Energy combines standardized 46 series cylindrical cells with semi-solid-state battery technology to launch the Zhengli Qilong battery system, with a system energy density of over 245Wh/kg and a whole package of power of up to 170kWh, which is currently the largest battery system for domestic passenger cars, supporting large-scale pure electric MPV models with a full battery life of more than 1,000 kilometers.

　　The 46 series of standardized cylindrical cells and semi-solid-state battery technology make Zhengli Qilong battery integrate ultra-safety, ultra-high energy density, ultra-long life of 1 million kilometers and ultra-fast charging technology of 500 kilometers in 10 minutes, which greatly improves the performance and customer experience of the whole vehicle. This is the valuable practical experience of Zhengli New Energy relying on the technical route and product matrix of chemical system differentiation, cell form standardization, and battery system platform, deeply promoting the "LISA-321" full-scenario to multi-path development strategy, and carrying out platform project development and exploration with leading customers, and I believe that this direction will gradually become a trend in the entire industry.