Chinese researchers have set up a pilot production line for a new type of lithium battery that has twice the energy density of the most advanced electric vehicle (EV) batteries on the market.
The team from Tianjin University’s school of materials science explained their approach to designing and manufacturing lithium batteries in a paper published in the top journal Nature on Wednesday.
This new type of battery can achieve an energy density – the amount of energy that can be stored per mass – of over 600 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg). In comparison, the energy density of Tesla’s 4680 battery is around 300Wh/kg. BYD’s widely used Blade Battery is only 150Wh/kg.
It also surpassed Beijing’s goal for EV batteries to reach 400Wh/kg under the “Made in China 2025” plan to upgrade the country’s hi-tech industries and reduce its reliance on imports.
If this new battery can be put into large-scale use, it could double or even quadruple the range of electric vehicles and shatter “range anxiety”, or the fear that a car will not have enough charge to reach its destination – considered the last great barrier to EV dominance.
The team’s battery has shown resilience in tests against low temperatures, fire, and even nail punctures, showing superior thermal and mechanical stability.
