The EV Battery Competition Heats Up

­One area of the industry I find particularly fascinating is the search for new battery technology, particularly for electric vehicles. It seems almost every month, a new battery chemistry comes closer to commercialization. Although our current Li-ion batteries are very good at what they do, there is always room for improvement, whether that means better storage, higher power density, quicker charging, lower cost, better durability or higher levels of safety. As a technology, Li-ion batteries are a jack of all trades, having pretty good specifications for all of these requirements. They are definitely the best choice for high performance EVs at the moment and they are getting better all of the time. However, on the horizon are other battery chemistries which bring promises of large improvements in performance, costs and safety.

The closest of these technologies to becoming widely available is lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which has actually made it into production in some vehicles developed by Chinese manufacturers. LFP technology currently does not offer the same performance as Li-ion batteries, but it is not far behind. Its advantages are that it is very safe, cheap and durable. As cost is one of the main blockages to adoption of electric vehicles, it is an ideal solution for vehicle owners who would like a cheap EV for mainly urban driving. With an estimated operating lifetime of between two and four times that of Li-ion batteries, the technology also offers a very good solution to another concern of potential EV buyers. 

Solid-state batteries will also challenge Li-ion battery dominance when they become commercially available. This chemistry has all of the best performance traits of Li-ion batteries but is much safer and charges faster. A few automotive companies have made big strides in this area and the first vehicles are set to come onto the market soon. Until they do, it is hard to estimate the impact that they will have. 

A third battery chemistry that could shortly challenge Li-ion batteries is lithium-sulfur (LiS). The technology is currently being developed by a few battery manufacturers, including Texas-based Zeta Energy. That company has recently signed a joint agreement with automotive giant Stellantis on the development of LiS batteries. Zeta has designed the batteries using commonly available materials and that means they are expected to cost around half the price of Li-ion batteries. The company claims that they offer superior gravimetric energy density in the same volume as today's lithium-ion technology. That means that the potential LiS battery pack will be much lighter, which will improve handling and performance. It is also capable of charging in half the time that Li-ion batteries take. Even production of the batteries could offer benefits with much lower carbon emissions than existing battery technology.

Like solid-state batteries, we will have to wait and see how LiS batteries perform on the road. manufacturer’s claims can only be trusted so far. However, it does look like an exciting time for the industry and more choice can only be a benefit to consumers.