Autobayng News Team
- A new lithium-manganese semi-solid-state battery promises more than 600 miles of CLTC range.
- Chinese automaker FAW claims to have installed the battery in a production vehicle already.
- Still, the cost and launch timeline remain unclear.
Even though traditional lithium-ion batteries are firmly in the lead as the default power source for electric vehicles, alternative chemistries are rapidly advancing to make EVs drive further, charge faster and last longer. And the pace of that progress is now starting to reach actual vehicles, not just experimental batteries in a laboratory.
FAW Group, one of China’s largest automakers, with joint ventures with the Volkswagen Group and Toyota, has integrated a new lithium-manganese semi-solid-state battery in a production vehicle, Chinese media outlets have reported.
FAW Group showcased a Hongqi-branded electric crossover during the announcement. Its headline figures are impressive. The 142-kilowatt-hour semi-solid-state battery has 500 watt-hours per kilogram of energy density on the cell level, which is double that of today’s lithium-ion batteries. That results in 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of manufacturer-estimated range.
The real-world range on the more realistic EPA cycle would be much lower. And as always, range is as much about the vehicle as the battery. Aerodynamics, curb weight, powertrain efficiency and driving conditions all play a major role in how far an EV actually goes.
What really stands out here is the use of manganese. Most semi-solid-state batteries rely on a gel-like electrolyte, but their cathode active materials are typically similar to those found in conventional lithium-ion cells, such as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) or nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA). There’s a broader industry shift toward manganese-rich cathodes, one that’s gaining traction well beyond China. General Motors’ lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) battery. Photo by: Patrick George
That trend is already visible in the U.S. Both General Motors and Ford have announced plans to deploy lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries in future EVs to cut their dependence on nickel and cobalt. Both materials are expensive and environmentally and ethically fraught. Some Chinese battery makers are also exploring lithium iron manganese phosphate (LMFP) batteries to improve the range and performance of low-cost LFP batteries, which signals a broader shift towards manganese as a key cathode active material.
Automakers have been making plenty of noise lately about battery breakthroughs. BYD recently claimed major gains in cycle life and charging performance for its solid-state cells. Meanwhile, a key Toyota battery partner has broken ground on a large-scale pilot production line in Japan. Not all of these announcements will pan out as quickly, or as cheaply, as promised.
Still, taken together, it seems like the next decade of EVs will likely look radically different from this one when it comes to battery performance.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com Related Stories We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
