Worldwide, batteries are getting a great deal of backing, but probably not at the level of China’s push to rule over world electric vehicle markets. Recently, China awarded BYD $3.7 billion to enable it to pursue dominance of the world EV market. According to Bloomberg.com, “Virtually all of China’s listed companies received direct handouts in 2022, the Kiel Institute [for the World Economy] said, flagging support for wind, solar and railway rolling stock companies. Industry aid in China is “at least three to four” times higher than in large EU and OECD countries, the group said.”
The European Union is busy investigating China’s underwriting of its own auto industry in what the EU sees as an anti-competitive advantage in an ongoing EV price war. America, for the most part, and aside from relatively minor Advanced Research Project Agency – Electric (ARPA-E) funding, does not seem to encourage EV development.
What usually starts with automotive advancement eventually finds its way skyward. Herewith, one Israeli and three Western companies showing progress.
Storedot
Storedot, an Israeli firm, is noted for its fast charging capabilities, recently achieving 2,000 extreme fast charging (XFC) cycles. The “silicon-dominant” battery cells maintained more than 80-percent of their initial capacity according to Storedot. Showing their ability be repeatedly fast charged, “The cells were charged consecutively from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes, demonstrating a charge rate of 4.2C*, while discharged at a rate of 1C.”
*See the Battery University on C rate.
Storedot cells manage “at least” 330 Watt-hours per kilogram and 860 Watt-hours per liter at stack level. The volume measure is important in airplane use because of the limited space in which batteries can be stowed.
Withstanding 2,000 cycles and retaining 80-percent of the original battery’s capacity would provide around 600,000 miles of driving, or several thousand hours of flying, making Storedot cells viable economically.
Encouragingly, Storedot is already delivering demonstration packs to several customers.
Solid Power
In November, BMW received its first solid-state cells from Solid Power, A-samples the car maker wants to demonstrate before 2025.
John Van Scoter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Power praises his team for their on-time delivery. “It is a reflection of our team’s strong execution that we produced and delivered our first A Sample EV cells for BMW …, marking a major milestone for Solid Power.”
BMW reportedly plans its first demonstration vehicle using Solid Power’s technology before the middle of the decade. BMW has obtained technology before the middle of the decade. BMW has obtained a research and development licence from the US company. BMW will build a prototype line for solid-state battery cells at its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center in Parsdorf near Munich, Germany.
Founded in 2011 as a spin-off from the University of Colorado, Solid Power is a promising developer of solid-state battery cells, having completed the installation of its pilot production line in 2022. The company delivered its first cells for qualification tests to its investors and customers before the end of the year. BMW and Ford are among its most prominent supporters.
All-solid-state battery cells with the company’s sulfide-based solid electrolyte material will be produced automatically on the pilot line. At full capacity, the pilot line is expected to be able to produce around 15,000 cells per year. Series production should start in 2026, according to earlier information.
Solid Power cells will come in three variants, the initial cells having a gravimetric energy density of 390 Wh/kg. If a lithium-metal anode is installed instead of the silicon anode, the cell with an NCM (nickel cobalt-manganese)-811 cathode achieves an energy density of 440 Wh/kg. An even more advanced version with a proprietary conversion-type cathode that promises “ultra-low cost and high specific energy” but loses a bit in volumetric efficiency, 765 Wh/L.
QuantumScape
Most batteries, solid-state or conventional electrolyte types, consist of three components, cathode, anode, and electrolyte. QuantumScape changes that in its Alpha-2 prototype with six layers of anodes and cathodes – a simplification of their earlier 24-layer AO prototype. The company explains, “The six-layer Alpha-2 prototype is more energy-dense than the earlier 24-layer A0 prototype. This is primarily due to higher-loading cathodes (i.e., packed with more active material) and more efficient packaging that optimizes the materials and space within the cell. The packaging improvements include tighter internal margins, thinner current collectors, and a slimmer design, all of which are integral to the final product.”
QuantumScape is not stopping here, though introducing a new format for its batteries – FlexFrame. Combining a solid edge frame with an expandable face on either side of the cell, QuantumScape enable expansion and contraction of the silicon inside. This former impediment to use of silicon and lithium in batteries seems to have met at least a partial solution this new format.
QuantumScape’s promise of up to 800 kW/kg should be icing on the cake, exceeding the energy density of many competitors and even that of numbers released by Tailan last month.
Amprius
Amprius claims to be the, “Only Known Commercially Available Battery Platform Capable of Providing Power and Endurance for Stratospheric Flight for HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellite) Applications in All Seasons or at Higher Latitudes.”
Last November, Amprius Technologies, Inc. making next-generation lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Anode Platform, announced it has signed purchase orders with three premier electric aviation manufacturers for custom cells from the Company’s 450 Wh/kg ultra-high-energy density platform for battery pack development and qualification. Since then, Amprius has improved cell performance to 500 Wh/kg.
Amprius meets unique HAPS (high-altitude pseudo satellite) qualification requirements that mean standing up in extreme low temperatures, high altitudes, and charging in sunlight and discharging in darkness. This ability to meet HAPS overnight stratospheric flight applications and enable higher payloads and/or operation in all seasons or at higher latitudes has been a proving ground for Amprius.
Dr. Kang Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Amprius. explains the new cells’ achievements. “Our new family of customizable ultra-high-energy density cells offers the ability to significantly reduce weight and increase range. Amprius is proud to support the advancement of electric mobility by delivering energy density performance that is unmatched by conventional cells available on the market today.”
Dave Corfield, CEO of Prismatic, a collaborator on these high-altitude endurance flight agrees. “Our flight missions require extremely high energy batteries to achieve our performance requirements . We greatly value the partnership with Amprius and are confident that our collaboration will result in significant advancements in our ability to provide an alternative to conventional sensing and communications systems. Partnering with Amprius, we were able to integrate their ultra-high-energy density batteries to achieve our mass targets which are critical to PHASA-35 performance.’’
PHASA-35 is probably one of the largest hand-launched aircraft any of us will ever see.
Commercialization will of course depend on more than the rarified applications of HAPS flight. Inclusion in automotive, lower-altitude aircraft, and even home energy systems will help spread the use of Amprius batteries.
Mostly Here Now
The big news in all of this is the availability of these cells now, instead of the future promise such objects seem to carry. In the competitive world, these help provide needed balance.