has longer range, faster charging speeds, less range degradation and lower price tags: This is everything new battery technology brings to electric car . Although, based on practice, we are still more keen on battery development, such as General Motors' recent expansion of Pilot and EVgo, here are some new battery technologies that will be the technology that will change the electric vehicle market in the future.
Lithium Ion far from complete
Sila Nanotechnologies is replacing graphite anodes that make up most of today's lithium-ion battery volume and about 15% by weight, which is said to increase the energy density of the battery by 20% to 40%, while also charging faster. This change is roughly similar to the Ford F-150 this year’s 25 MPG but the next model’s 35 MPG is an unheard of jump.
Mercedes-Benz seems to be the first customer to use Sila technology as an elite option for the new electric EQG in 2025. Energy density is especially important for heavy vehicles like EQG, as their bulkiness tends to amplify the shortcomings of current batteries, which have to be big and heavy to move big and heavy things, and even move a considerable amount of mileage, creating a decisive vicious cycle.
Sila claims that traditional lithium-ion battery technology has become flat in terms of energy density
Group14 is another battery alliance worth paying attention to, listing Porsche as its main partner. OneD is seeking strategies to grow silicon nanowires on graphite anodes of lithium batteries. All of these methods utilize the good performance and wide acceptance of lithium battery technology to quickly enter the market.
Sodium ion battery
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently announced a breakthrough in sodium ion battery technology that promises greater immunity to the temperature management requirements that plague current EV batteries, multiple charges without degradation, naturally extinguishing and without causing toxic headaches. PNNL said it has found a way to tame the unstable aspects of sodium ion technology, but it still needs to solve the problem of significantly reduced energy density compared to lithium ions. As a bonus, PNNL researchers believe they will be able to reduce or remove cobalt from the formula, a controversial toxic element in today's electric vehicle battery .
Solid-state battery
Solid-state battery technology has the right name: it usually refers to a battery made of tightly compressed hard material, rather than a slightly pasty, damp material that makes up a typical lithium battery.
Today's battery is semi-rigid and contains a wet electrolyte solution. Solid state batteries are physically different, which makes them fundamentally promising material
The fact that solid state batteries are made of hard packaging made of hard materials is not a specific reason for their performance, but it is a simple way to describe structures with many benefits:
Larger energy density : This could result in electric cars with greater range, the same size battery or today's range comes from smaller, cheaper batteries tomorrow. The latter seems to me more transformative.
Charge faster : Although it is quite excellent to fully charge in 30 minutes today, the goal of solid-state batteries is taken for granted. Short charging times have the potential to change the overall view of electric vehicles.
Longer cycle life : You may have seen my recent story about the issue of electric vehicle batteries being grazed because they lose a large portion of their capacity through the charging cycle. Solid-state technology is a key part of GM's plan to produce million-mile life battery life.
Thermal stability: Solid-state design promises little or no chance of thermal runaway, which makes current lithium batteries synonymous with fire risk. It is said that the silicon batteries mentioned above can also eliminate this problem to a large extent.
Who will provide this magic?
Solid Power recently made headlines when it announced the start of small-scale production with the support of Ford and BMW . It is worth noting that production can now be carried out on production lines that produce traditional lithium-ion batteries, which is a potentially huge industrial advantage. Mass production may arrive as early as 2024.
Perhaps the most popular company is QuantumScape, supported by Volkswagen , which says the technology is no less than "the most promising way for electric vehicles in the future." QuantumScape has developed a ceramic separator between the anode and the cathode that helps its battery charge from 10% to 80% in less than 15 minutes while allowing the battery to lose small capacity after repeated charges.
Nikkei recently reported that Toyota is the world leader in solid-state battery patents to date, and said that by 2025 there will be a limited-production car using the technology.
Buzzy EV newcomer Vinfast recently pledged to invest in solid-state battery maker ProLogium to produce batteries that could be used in Vietnamese manufacturers’ electric vehicles by 2024.
should you wait?
Some of the target dates I mentioned above seem very close, but have reservations about them: no one will be surprised by the mass production dates of any of these battery technologies. Most importantly, the automotive industry usually takes a long time, from new technologies that are technically available to widespread use in Volkswagen-priced cars. Coupled with my general dislike of buying a new car, you start going into a longer time of 5 to 10 years. I'll analyze electric cars based on today's products, as these exciting new battery technologies may require a full car ownership cycle for savvy, value-conscious buyers.
That is to say, these battery technologies will appear early enough on the EV adoption curve to become the main contributor to its critical point.
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