We have had lots of talk about the various BEVs or battery electric vehicles coming and occasionally a few posts on battery tech. Some have been in depth while others have been a 60,000-foot skim on new battery technology that looked and sounds cool. I thought it was about time we took a closer look on what all is going on in the auto battery world.
First let's have a visual understanding on conventional Lithium-ion battery versus solid-state battery. A few key benefits are not only safer batteries, but smaller, slimer batteries that are more energy dense in nature due to a liquid electrolyte being replaced by some form of solid electrolyte.
Current battery packs that are used in current electric vehicles use some form of Lithium-ion with a liquid electrolyte that does a very impressive job. Yet even these current battery packs have been known to catch fire usually due to damage from an accident. The dream battery is a safer, non-flammable, all-solid-state battery cell that is energy dense, faster recharge and more flexible in packaging.
Batteries that have solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte are known as solid state batteries and are poised to take over and replace traditional lithium-ion batteries in various areas of applications, especially electric vehicles. Solid-state battery technology is pivotal to the advancement and development of many technologies. Solid-state batteries are among the brightest solution for extracting maximum range, reducing charging time and enhanced battery-related safety concerns.
Currently from an investment standpoint, the following companies are getting attention for various reasons due to the possible solid state battery technology they are bringing to market.
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SK innovation (SK innovation)
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Solid electrolyte with excellent ionic conductivity and elasticity, which secures both performance and safety
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- SK Innovation accelerates the all-solid-state batteries for replacement of traditional lithium-ion cells
- Research done by Professor Lee Seung-woo of Georgia Tech University
- Rubber-type high polymer solid electrolyte allowing for ionic conductivity to be boosted by 100 times. Rubber-like elasticity while operating at room temperature
- This technology is expected to take a traditional 500km BEV and enhance the range by 800km on a single charge
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Using their own Z-Folding stacking method of stacking between the zigzag separator, which intersects the anode and the cathode. This z-folding technique minimizes cell stress and uniformly laminates the anodes and cathode, essentially blocking the possibility of contact between electrodes
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Ceramic coating separator (CCS) reinforced with a mixed weapon layer on one or both sides of the existing lithium-ion battery separator increase heat resistance directly related to the stability of the battery and improves the movement speed of lithium ions.
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Bipolar Material Technology - High-nickel anode materials maximize energy density while ensuring excellence in capacity, thermal stability and cycle performance compared to conventional batteries. Since 2014 when the world's first supply of NCM622 batteries to electric vehicles, nvm811 and NCM9 are new industry standards and aim to achieve energy densities of more than 1,000Wh\L.
- Wh\L = Energy Density, the nominal battery energy per unit volume, referred to as the volumetric energy density. Specific energy is a characteristic of the battery chemistry and packaging. Along with the energy consumption of the vehicle, it determines the battery size required to achieve a given electric range.
- SK Innovation is accelerating production in house and outside of the company by partnering with Solid Power, USA (Home - Solid Power (solidpowerbattery.com))
- Located in Seoul, Korea
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Solid electrolyte with excellent ionic conductivity and elasticity, which secures both performance and safety
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Solid Power (Home - Solid Power (solidpowerbattery.com))
- All-Solid-State rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, 50% denser than current Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries
- Contain NO volatile or flammable liquid components
- Longer Life resulting in performance across temperature ranges with a cost savings of 15 to 35% over traditional batteries
- Currently producing 20 Ah multi-layered Solid-State lithium batteries in prototype form for auto company evaluation
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3 types of cells available for purchase
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Silicon EV cell
- High-Content Silicon anode - High Charge rates & lower temperature capabilities
- Sulfide Solid Electrolyte - Powered by Solid Power's proprietary sulfide-based solid electrolytes
- NMC Cathode - Industry-standard and commercially mature
- 390 Wh/kg
- 930 Wh\L
- 1,000 + cycle life
- Less than 15 min charge
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Lithium Metal EV Cell
- Lithium Metal Anode - High Energy
- Sulfide Solid Electrolyte - Powered by Solid Power's proprietary sulfide based solid electrolytes
- NMC Cathode - Industry-standard and commercially mature
- 440 Wh/kg
- 930 Wh\L
- 1,000 + cycle life
- Less than 20 min charge
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Conversion Reaction Cell
- Lithium Metal Anode - High Energy
- Sulfide Solid Electrolyte - Powered by Solid Power's proprietary sulfide based solid electrolytes
- Conversion-Type Cathode - Ultra-low cost & high specific energy
- 560 Wh/kg
- 785 Wh\L
- 1,000 + cycle life
- Less than 30 min charge
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Silicon EV cell
- Batteries expected to be on the market in BEVs by 2026
- Located in Louisville, Colorado
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QuantumScape (Building the Best Battery — QuantumScape)
- High energy density and high specific energy
- Backed by Bill Gates, Volkswagen, Continental AG, George Soros and other prominent investors
- Traded on the NYSE: QS
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Currently the most advanced solid-state battery and industry's first anode-less cell design
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- Battery packs can charge to 80% capacity in 15 minuets, best in class currently
- QuantumScape has overcome the dendrites problem that forms when fast charging
- Lower costs by eliminating anode host material and manufacturing costs
- Located in San Jose, California
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Ampcera (Ampcera – Solid State Electrolytes)
- Niche player in high-performance solid-state electrolyte materials
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Focus use is electric vehicles and grid storage
- Battery cost of less than $75 per kilowatt hour is expected by 2025
- Less than 10-minute ultra-fast charge
- Solid-state electrolyte materials include sulfides, NASICON-type phosphates and garnet-structure oxides
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- HQ is in Silicon Valley, California with R&D in Tucson Tech Park, Arizona
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BrightVolt (Solid-State Li-Ion batteries utilizing proprietary polymer matrix electrolyte (PME) technology (brightvolt.com))
- Solid-State battery supplier for IoT devices
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Proprietary polymer matrix electrolyte used in their Lithium-ion batteries
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- High energy density due to the matrix bonding directly to the electrodes, eliminating deadweight and having a total cell electrode thickness of less than .45 mm compared to a conventional lithium-ion cell electrodes that typically have a thickness greater than .7 mm.
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ProLigium Technology (ProLogium Technology Co., Ltd)
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- Uses lithium-ceramic (oxide solid) electrolytes in their mass produced all-solid-state batteries
- Has two battery production plants, first one is a 40MWh plant and used more for their proof-of-concept batteries, second plant is a 2 GWh large scale production plant
- Their solid-state batteries are focused on consumer electronics and wearable products such as watches, clothes, etc.
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New agreements in place at the end of 2021 has them entering the auto market with building battery packs for NIO, AIWAYS of China and Mercedes-Benz of Germany and China markets for BEVs
- 100% fundamentally Safe
- 2X Longer Range
- 12 min Fast Charging
- Depending on application, the BiPolar+ 3D Structure Solid-State EV Battery Pack has a 29% to 56% higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries
- Located in Taiwan
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Ilika Plc (Home | Ilika)
- Solid-state battery company building battery cells for use in MedTech, IoT, BEVs and Consumer Electronics
- Solid-State batteries that can be customizable to miniaturized mm-scale for powering next-generation Active Implanted Medical Devices (AIMD) or Industrial IoT sensors.
- Company was founded in 2004 and in 2014 as a spin-out from the School of Chemistry at the University of Southampton started to build the Stereax family of Solid-state batteries
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Two battery families now
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Stereax - Micro Solid-state batteries
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Goliath-Wh-level solid-state cells for BEVs and Consumer electronics
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Stereax - Micro Solid-state batteries
- Located in Romsey, UK
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Cymbet (Home of the World's Smallest Solid-State Batteries - Cymbet)
- Biocompatible thin film rechargeable solid-state smart batteries (SSB)
- Focus on embedded power capabilities for electronic system designers in microelectronic systems
- Supporting new concepts in energy storage applications for ICs, Medical, Sensor, RFID, Industrial control, communications and portable electronic devices
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- Located in New Brighton, Minnesota
Before anyone might ask, another benefit of the all-solid-state batteries is the ability to recycle them easer and faster keeping it a green cycle. here is a basic look visually at this life cycle.
The final interesting tech piece for this writeup is about a company called Navitas Semiconductor. This company came about by using a waste product from the manufacture of Aluminum. Gallium is a chemical element on the periodic table and a natural by-product create in refining metals, especially aluminum. For decades, there was no known use for this material according to the CEO of Navitas.
Navitas then combined gallium with nitrogen to create gallium nitride (GaN), it is useful for the semiconductors that go into charging units for consumer electronics devices. A GaN semiconductor operates up to 20X faster than silicon, making it possible in delivering 3X more power and 3X faster charging in half the size and weight while only being 10% to 20% more expensive. Scale will bring down costs according to the Navistar and as such this is where the company takes their high-speed charging technology and now is applying it to the BEV industry.
The one catch is that to use GaN, one must totally redesign their charging system. Manufactures such as Vivo, Dell and Xiaomi have all changed their charging systems to GaN due to the extreme speed it supports for getting electronics recharged in a fraction of the time and back in use. Navitas believes once the Auto industry sees the benefits of GaN, they will change their charging setup to use their GaN chip and redesign the whole power system around the chip.
Navistar has so far raised $100 million in funding to bring their ultra-fast charging solutions to the auto industry. Navistar believes more than just charging can benefit from their GaN products.
So, what is the selling point of Gan semiconductors by Navitas | Creator of GaNFast (navitassemi.com)? Simply Navitas believes they can make a major impact on BEVs. Navistar says that 30% of energy is lost when traveling from the battery to the wheels in transmission. GaN does not have this energy lose like Silicon semiconductors have. Using a GaN superconductors in that transmission, you can avoid the 30% power loss which would allow the BEV OEM to either go 30% longer on the current battery or reduce the battery pack by 30% while maintaining the same current range.
Check out this interview with the CEO of Navistar
No single company can supply it all nor can any single automotive company build and supply their own parts. GM has chosen to hedge their bets much like most companies and the GM Ventures arm of GM Corporation has invested in the North Carolina Battery Company Soelect. Soelect has drawn investments from the following auto companies on top of GM. Hyundai, Kia, Geely, SAIC and LG and SK have all invested in SolidEnergy Systems.
Investor Relations | General Motors Company (gm.com)
We also have Ford which according to Teslarati web site about their investors call, Ford is taking a page from Tesla and Stock piling battery cells to insure as they build their battery plants that over the next two years, they can deliver on producing 200,000 Mach-e's a year by 2023, 100,000 Mach-e's by the end of 2022 and a 150,000 F150 Lightings by the end of 2022.
For those that might find the various acronym's here challenging, I have the following post to help explain them:
MIT Guide to Understanding Battery Specifications
7 Top Solid-state Battery Companies 2022 – Advanced Investing for Beginners (ai4beginners.com)
Technology < About < SK On (sk-on.com)
All-Solid-State Batteries - Solid Power (solidpowerbattery.com)
Ampcera – Solid State Electrolytes
Our Technology - BrightVolt Solid State Batteries
Stereax - Micro Solid State Batteries | Ilika
Goliath Solid State Batteries Powering Electric Vehicles | Ilika
GM Ventures invests in EV advanced battery startup Soelect | Reuters
Home of the World's Smallest Solid-State Batteries - Cymbet
Navitas | Creator of GaNFast (navitassemi.com)
GM Ventures invests in EV advanced battery startup Soelect | Reuters
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