Key Takeaways
1. China is the first nation to establish standards for solid-state batteries, aiming to speed up market introduction of solid electrolyte cells.
2. Hybrid solid-liquid batteries, which contain 5% liquid and 95% solid electrolyte, are recognized for being cheaper to produce while offering high energy density and safety.
3. Startups like WeLion are successfully developing innovative battery solutions, such as a 150 kWh battery pack for NIO’s ET7 sedan that provides over 650 miles of range.
4. Established companies like CATL are now considering hybrid batteries as a practical interim solution while they work on true solid-state batteries.
5. The world’s first dedicated solid-liquid battery manufacturing plant is being built by Hylic, aiming to produce batteries with significant range and efficiency for various applications.
China has recently taken a big step by becoming the first nation to try to establish standards for solid-state batteries. Both new companies like WeLion and established players such as CATL are in competition to lead in the next generation of electric vehicle (EV) range and safety.
Advancing Battery Technology
The goal of the solid-state battery standard initiative is to hasten the process of bringing cells with solid or nearly solid electrolytes to the market. The new national classification differentiates between these types. Batteries that were previously labeled as semi-solid, which consist of 5% liquid and 95% solid electrolyte, are now referred to as hybrid solid-liquid batteries. These batteries are less expensive to produce compared to those with a 100% solid electrolyte, yet they are almost equally safe and provide significantly higher energy density than current ternary batteries that use volatile liquid electrolytes.
Innovations from NIO and WeLion
For example, NIO approached CATL to produce the solid-liquid battery it had developed. However, CATL, the largest EV battery manufacturer globally, initially dismissed the idea, viewing it as costly and not practical, which are two issues CATL typically avoids. Consequently, NIO sought assistance from the startup WeLion and successfully created a 150 kWh battery pack that allows its ET7 sedan to travel over 650 miles on just one charge.
A Shift in Perspective
Eventually, CATL revised its opinion and now sees solid-liquid batteries as a viable interim solution while working towards commercializing true solid-state batteries, which remain fairly costly to produce. In contrast, startups in China are focusing directly on developing and manufacturing hybrid or solid-state batteries, skipping the liquid electrolyte phase where they find it hard to compete against major companies like CATL or BYD.
One such innovative company, Hylic, has started constructing the world’s first production line exclusively for hybrid batteries containing 95% solid electrolyte, also known as solid-liquid packs. Though these batteries don’t provide the same high energy density as solid-state batteries, Hylic’s cells, with only 5% liquid electrolyte, still achieve 360 Wh/kg, which is about 50% more than the average energy density of current EV batteries, and they can last for 1,000 charging cycles.
Future of EV Battery Production
The establishment of the first dedicated solid-liquid battery manufacturing plant could lead to electric vehicles capable of 500-600 miles of range at a reasonable cost, thanks to the benefits of large-scale production. Hylic has already initiated the first phase of construction and aims to deliver 10 GWh of solid-state battery capacity for various applications, including robots, drones, and electric vehicles.
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