Q: Given the importance of reliable, energy-efficient battery technology, do you think existing battery chemistries such as lithium-ion will be the solution or will new chemistries need to be developed?
By Michael Fredershausen, sales manager, EU Sales Team, MagnaChip
E-mobility will likely be a robust, growing market over the next 20 years. Electric cars, bikes, and scooters are being manufactured worldwide, in response to demands that are growing rapidly.
Therefore, the development of reliable, energy-efficient battery technology is critically important. The most demanding applications (automotive, industrial, and consumer) presently rely on tried and true lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology.
However, the range requirements of electric cars are increasing. In the future, electric cars should achieve ranges of up to 900 km without recharging. Likewise, the demand for rechargeable batteries with high-energy density and small size is also growing in the consumer and industrial electronics sectors.
Thus, in the near future, existing Li-ion battery technology must be improved if it is to meet the demanding requirements of the applications that rely on it. Li-ion batteries currently have a maximum energy density of 140 W∙h/Kg. R&D scientists are working to increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries by 20 percent in the next 2 years.
Battery manufacturers have already developed solid-state batteries, which use a solid electrolyte, instead of a liquid. Solid-state batteries have 2.5 times higher energy density and lower weight compared to liquid Li-ion batteries.
Another big advantage of solid-state batteries is a shorter charging time. Eventually, it will be possible to charge solid-state batteries in a few minutes. The automotive industry and battery manufacturers anticipate that cost effective, solid-state batteries will be mass produced by 2025.
Solid-state Li-ion batteries will have a great advantage over liquid Li-ion battery chemistry. The potential to pack much greater energy density into individual cells while being more compact and cheaper than liquid l-ion cells will make them the preferred choice for demanding applications.
By John Linzel, battery applications engineer, Mobile Power Solutions
Li-ion batteries have truly changed the world. Their high energy density, high power capability, long cycle life, and low cost have enabled their use in a vast array of electronic devices, power tools, and perhaps most importantly for the earth, electric vehicles, and grid storage systems.
But another great characteristic of the Li-ion chemistry is that it offers tremendous flexibility in the design of the cell itself. The cell can be made in many different ways to enhance various performance characteristics. Variations in the electrodes’ chemical formulations, electrode structure, electrolyte composition, separator materials, and cell construction can lead to significant improvements in specific aspects of performance as the technology develops.
But Li-ion is not a panacea. There are inherent limitations to its capabilities due to the electrochemistry of lithium, the acceptable temperature ranges for separators and electrolytes, the parasitic chemical side reactions, and other factors. We simply can’t store fully charged Li-ion batteries for 5 to 7 years and expect them to deliver their rated capacity, and we can’t store them at 0 volts and give them their first charge 3 years later.
Li-ion offers a fantastic solution for today, but we are always hungry for more: half the size and weight, more cycles, faster charge and discharge rates, wider temperature range, longer storage, cheaper, and safer.