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CATL, a heavyweight in the Chinese battery industry, has introduced a novel condensed matter battery technology with an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg.
Chinese battery giant CATL on Wednesday unveiled a new ultra-high-energy battery technology initially intended for aviation, with an automotive cell in development.
The so-called “condensed matter” battery, a type of semi-solid state product with condensed electrolyte and new anode and separator materials, will have an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg.
At the unveiling ceremony at the Shanghai Auto Show, Wu Kai, CATLs chief scientist, stated that the company was working with unspecified partners to ensure the battery was qualified for aviation use in terms of safety and quality. Wu added that CATL will also be able to start series production of the condensed matter battery for use in electric vehicles later this year.
The new battery uses high-conductivity biomimetic condensed-state electrolytes to improve the conductive performance of the cells and, in turn, the efficiency of lithium-ion transport, while increasing the stability of the microstructure.
The condensed matter battery is said to integrate “a number of innovative technologies, such as ultra-high energy density cathode materials, innovative anode materials, separators and manufacturing processes, offering excellent charge and discharge performance, as well as good security features”, says CATL.
However, no information has been released about the cost of the new cells or the materials needed to make them. Other specifications are also missing, such as charging efficiency, upload/discharge speed, safe ranges, and life cycles.
The Chinese battery maker, which produced 37% of the worlds electric vehicle batteries and 43.4% of energy storage batteries in 2022 for a grand total of 289 GWh, has made innovative product announcements in the last years.
In 2021, CATL launched its first generation of sodium ion batteries with an energy density of 160 Wh/kg and promised an increase to 200 Wh/kg for the next generation. Earlier this week, he confirmed that Chinas Chery will be the first automaker to use its sodium-ion battery technology.
In 2022, CATL introduced the Qilin battery, the third generation of its cell-to-pack technology, with the highest level of integration to date. With a record volume utilization efficiency of 72% and energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg, Qilin is capable of a range of over 1,000 km and is equivalent to a five minute hot start and ten minute charge for go from 10 to 80% state of charge.
Qilin series production started in March this year. These batteries have already been used in multiple electric vehicles from ZEEKR, AITO, Li Auto and Geely.
On Tuesday, CATL also announced its goals to achieve carbon neutrality across all of its battery manufacturing plants by 2025, and across its entire battery value chain by 2035.
To achieve this, the company will focus on reducing CO2 emissions in five key areas: mining, raw materials, battery materials, battery manufacturing and battery systems. “For CATL, achieving carbon neutrality is our responsibility, demonstrates our ability, and opens up more opportunities,” said Jiang Li, Secretary of CATLs Board of Directors. |
