2023-09-22
On April 19th, CATL released an innovative and advanced battery technology called the 'condensed battery' at the Shanghai Auto Show. The single-cell energy density of the condensed battery can reach up to 500Wh/kg. According to CATL, this type of battery does not belong to the categories of either semi-solid or solid-state batteries, but rather to a new category.
CATL claims that they have achieved a breakthrough in creating a battery with both high energy density and high safety, and can quickly achieve mass production. At the press conference, CATL's Chief Scientist Wu Kai revealed that they are working on a cooperative development project for a civil electric aircraft, using the condensed battery and executing aviation-grade standards and tests to meet the safety and quality requirements of aviation-grade.
CATL will also launch a vehicle-grade version of the condensed battery, which will have mass-production capabilities within this year.
The energy density of condensed batteries can vary depending on the combination of positive and negative electrode materials.
Wu Kai admitted that the aviation-grade product with an energy density of 500Wh/kg is still under joint development with relevant customers. However, if it is for automotive condensed batteries, the production line, equipment, and processes will need to be upgraded. "If the energy density is reduced to about 300Wh/kg, it can be mass-produced this year, as the speed of production line upgrading is relatively fast."
As for the technical principle of the condensed battery, there is not much information released by CATL. The information provided shows that it is a chemical reaction change for ultra-high specific energy materials, using a high-power biomimetic condensed electrolyte to construct a micro-level adaptive mesh structure and adjust the inter-chain interaction force. This improves the stability of the microstructure and enhances the dynamic performance of the battery while increasing the efficiency of lithium-ion transport.
The electrolyte is a product developed by CATL itself, and they hold the core know-how.
In addition, the condensed battery also integrates a series of innovative technologies, including ultra-high specific energy positive electrode, new negative electrode, separator, and process, which not only have excellent charge and discharge performance but also have high safety performance.
Regarding the limited information disclosure, Wu Kai stated that CATL will gradually unveil the technical details of the product as it is being developed.
Regarding the cost, Wu Kai admitted that the cost of a 500Wh/kg battery is indeed very high, but if it is used in a vehicle and the energy density is reduced, CATL can optimize the cost through some means. "At present, condensed-state batteries are indeed only competitive in high-end vehicles."
In recent years, CATL has continuously launched new products in the field of technology, successively launching sodium-ion batteries, M3P, Kirin batteries, and other technologies, all of which have been industrialized.
In 2021, CATL became the first in the world to release the first-generation sodium-ion battery with an energy density of 160Wh/kg. During this auto show, CATL's sodium-ion battery made its debut in Chery's models. In 2022, CATL released the Kirin battery, which has the highest system integration degree in the world, and has achieved mass production in March of this year, and has been successively used in many high-end pure electric vehicles models such as Xpeng, NIO, and Li Auto.
Now, the released condensed-state battery technology has taken a different route from solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries, breaking the ceiling that has long limited the development of the battery industry and is expected to further release a brand-new electric scene with high safety and lightweight as the core demand in the future.
hashtags: #catl #sustainability #renewableenergy #helithtech
references:
https://www.catl.com/news/7140.html
https://www.dongchedi.com/article/7223986541239648827
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