No Anode? No Problem! This Battery Breakthrough Could Power 500-Mile EVs
QuantumScape, a startup focused on battery ignition technology for electric vehicles, thinks eliminating the anode could lead to significant advancements in EVs; however, obstacles still remain.
While a lithium-ion battery has fewer components compared to a combustion engine, it remains equally sophisticated. This complexity arises from the delicate balance of materials affecting various aspects of an electric vehicle such as its driving range, recharge time, overall performance, and durability. Manufacturers are striving to enhance these factors through advanced chemical formulations aimed at reducing compromises. A notable advancement in this field is the development of anode-less solid-state lithium-metal batteries, which show significant promise.
At least one battery executive believes that this chemistry will enable the true “no compromises vehicle”, where driving range, charging times, safety and lifespan are all impressive. It sounds great on paper, but for the technology to truly come out of the lab and onto EVs that customers can buy, several challenges are yet to be solved.
“If you aim for a significant reduction in both cost and energy efficiency relative to mass and volume, the most substantial improvement would be achieved by removing the anode,” explained Tim Holt, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at battery startup QuantumScape.
InsideEVs
.
The key elements in a conventional lithium-ion battery consist of an anode, electrolyte, separator, and cathode. These parts collaborate to transfer electrons during an electric vehicle’s charging and discharging processes. Among these components, the anode stands out as particularly environmentally burdensome and challenging from a production standpoint.
It’s typically made from graphite—a stable, long-lasting material but one that limits fast charging and energy density. Processing graphite requires toxic solvents and China controls the vast majority of its supply chain.
We’re noticing an increase in silicon utilization within the anodes as well.
However, these options tend to be costly and their cycle life and stability aren’t optimal, as stated by QuantumScape. Businesses involved in this technology claim they are enhancing stability and ensuring better long-term durability.
The weightiness of EV batteries can be attributed partly to their anodes as well. According to Holme, the anode consists of a substantial amount of carbon and occupies significant space and mass within a cell. Additionally, both the manufacturing process and production consume large amounts of energy, leading to notable CO2 emissions.
Currently, QuantumScape is among multiple battery startups aiming to abandon conventional techniques for integrating anodes. Other companies like Factorial, Our Next Energy, and Ensurge Micropower are also working on their own variants of anode-free cells.
QuantumScape is working on a lithium-metal battery featuring an “in situ” formed anode, which is generated inside the battery itself instead of being added as a distinct part. This is noteworthy since conventional lithium-ion batteries typically employ a pre-manufactured anode, often crafted from materials like graphite and/or silicon. In contrast, lithium-metal batteries have the potential to begin solely with a cathode and an electrolyte.
In the initial charging process, lithium ions accumulate on the current collector, thereby constructing the lithium-metal anode. This approach streamlines production, cuts expenses, and enhances energy storage capacity. According to QuantumScape, an electric vehicle equipped with conventional cells offering a range of about 350 miles could achieve up to 400-500 miles when utilizing their solid-state lithium-metal cells. However, as will be explored further under battery density considerations, such comparisons do not appear to factor in the highest-density lithium-ion batteries available at present.
“Lithium metal outperforms both graphite and silicon as the ideal anode,” stated Holme. “A solid-state design combined with lithium metal creates superior batteries without compromising performance. However, this presents an engineering hurdle.” One key issue they face involves inhibiting the formation of dendrites—sharp metallic formations that can develop within the battery, causing damage.
Daniel Parr, a tech industry analyst working for a research company based in the U.K.,
IDTechEx
noted in a message that lithium metal batteries have traditionally faced difficulties in development because of this problem, with dendrite formation leading to premature battery deterioration and restricting the number of charge cycles they can undergo.
QuantumScape addresses this issue with a patented solid-state separator crafted from ceramics, claimed to inhibit dendrite formation. According to Holme, the electrolyte consists of an organic liquid, while the cathode can utilize either nickel, iron, or a combination of both.
Iron is certainly less costly, yet it has lower energy density whereas nickel boasts higher energy density, though it comes at a greater expense,” Holme stated. “We intend to provide both options for our clients so they can make their own selection.
The start-up’s
QSE-5 cell
uses this novel chemistry. The first two letters represent the company, “E” stands for energy and the number denotes five milliamp-hours of capacity, similar to the capacity of a Tesla 2170 cell that’s used in certain versions of the Model Y, among other products.
The QSE-5 cell boasts an energy density of 305 watt-hours per kilogram, appearing slightly superior to Tesla’s 4680 NMC cells utilized in the Cybertruck and the Model Y. The 4680 remains
estimated
with an energy density ranging from 272 to 296 watt-hours per kilogram. Factorial’s fully solid-state
Solstice
The battery reportedly offers an energy density of 450 Wh/kg. Therefore, as a solid-state, experimental battery, the QSE-5’s density falls at the lower end of the spectrum.
Nevertheless, the advantages are significant, according to the startup. The lifespan increases due to the elimination of “capacity fade,” which typically occurs as a result of chemical interactions between the anode and the electrolyte. Additionally, safety is enhanced since the ceramic separator is purportedly fireproof and remains stable even when exposed to extremely high or low temperatures.
In the event of a collision, an electric vehicle equipped with this type of battery has a lower chance of exploding. (Fires in EVs are
statistically rarer
then electric cars, but when these fires do happen, they are difficult to put out.)
QuantumScape has already shipped “B-samples” of its new battery to automakers for testing and plans to send more this year. B-samples are near-production battery prototype used for more advanced testing, such as performance validation, safety assessments and integration into EVs.
One of QuantumScape’s clients is PowerCo SE, which is a wholly owned battery division of the Volkswagen Group. “We have granted them access to our technology and are collaborating closely to bring this solution to market,” explained Holmes. “PowerCo SE is constructing large-scale factories known as ‘gigafactories’ in Spain, Germany, and Canada, and we will assist them in integrating this technology into their manufacturing processes.”
Under the non-exclusive
licensing agreement
PowerCo has the capability to generate as much as 40 gigawatt-hours of batteries utilizing QuantumScape’s technology, with the potential to scale this capacity up to 80 GWh. This expanded output could support the production of approximately 1 million electric vehicles each year.
When questioned regarding the expenses associated with solid-state batteries versus today’s lithium-ion alternatives, Holmes drew parallels between the advancement of solid-state cells and SpaceX’s revolutionary impact on the rocket sector.
If you compare the initial SpaceX rockets with what NASA had developed at that time, they weren’t as cost-effective,” he stated. “However, as SpaceX has advanced, their prices have dropped dramatically, reaching levels several times lower than those of NASA.
It will cost more initially compared to a conventional battery.
“If we climb the learning curve, increase our production volumes, and reduce our costs, we can become competitive and potentially surpass lithium-ion technology over time,” he said.
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suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
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