All Major EV Battery Chemistries, Explained

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to batteries, especially those used in automotive applications.

For electric vehicles, automakers use different chemistries, cell formats and pack designs based on trade-offs around cost, range and performance—much like how engines range from small naturally aspirated four pots to turbocharged V8s. But if you’re a casual EV enthusiast or just someone interested in this space, how do you make sense of it all?  

For anyone intrigued by the world of EV batteries, here’s a breakdown of the major chemistries that powered early EVs, what today’s models use to get going and the technologies shaping the future. If you’re already well-versed in this world, let us know if we missed out on any major chemistry that’s on the horizon, or one that left a mark in the past. Let’s dive in.

Lead Acid 

Photo by: Photopea

Lead-acid batteries are the oldest rechargeable batteries still in widespread use. They’re cheap, reliable and easy to recycle. That 12-volt battery in your gas car and your EV? That’s a lead-acid battery, as has been the case for decades.  

However, they’re heavy, nowhere as energy-dense as lithium-ion batteries, which is why they tend to be poorly suited for modern EVs.

Today, they’re mostly used for starter batteries in gas cars for less-demanding auxiliary functions like cabin lights, power windows and infotainment screens. In the late nineties, the first-gen General Motors EV1 used a lead-acid battery before GM pivoted to nickel-metal hydride on its subsequent version. 

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)

Photo by: Toyota

Nickel-metal hydride batteries came before modern lithium-ion cells and are widely used in hybrids. They’re durable and generally forgiving in most types of climates, but they have the same weight and energy density problem as lead-acid batteries.

Ni-MH packs are still common on most hybrids sold in the U.S., especially those made by Toyota. But they’re slowly getting replaced by lithium-ion packs, which are more reliable and energy-dense.

Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO)

Official battery rendering of the 2016 Chevy Volt.

LMO batteries use a manganese-based cathode that’s cheaper and more thermally stable than nickel-rich chemistries. They can deliver high power and charge quickly, but they degrade faster and have lower energy density. An LMO blend was used in early EVs like the first-generation Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, but it has largely fallen out of favor for long-range applications ever since. 

Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)

Photo by: Porsche

The blend of nickel, manganese and cobalt is the dominant cathode active material outside of China. NMC batteries are energy dense and enjoy a widely established supply chain and manufacturing base, which is why they’re common on longer-range EVs.

The vast majority of EVs in the U.S., including those made by Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Volkswagen and Toyota, use NMC cells. Some drawbacks include high cost, a lower range in colder temperatures and less thermal stability compared to other chemistries. 

Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (NCA)

Photo by: Panasonic Energy

NCA packs swap the expensive manganese with aluminum, which improves the cathode’s stability, reducing degradation. Some battery makers also add aluminum to the existing mix, creating the NCMA chemistry, which is dominant on General Motors trucks and SUVs.

NCA batteries are energy dense—Tesla has long used Panasonic’s NCA batteries on its models. But it has similar drawbacks as standard NMC batteries, like high cost and the need for sophisticated cooling to keep the pack running efficiently.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)

Ford LFP battery cells

The chemistry that has been winning the mass market segment globally ditches the expensive nickel, manganese and cobalt for iron phosphate. Getting rid of these dirty and pricey materials means LFP batteries are cheaper, safer and have a long cycle life. Energy density takes a hit, but battery makers have been able to get around that with solutions like prismatic cells and cell-to-pack batteries. LFP is common in China. In the U.S. and Europe, more automakers are now using them for affordable models.

Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP)

These are LFP batteries, but with a performance and range boost thanks to the addition of manganese. Chinese battery maker Gotion claims its LMFP battery can last over 1,800 cycles at high temperatures and deliver 621 miles of range.

China’s CATL is quiet about the composition of its “M3P” battery, but in a research paper, it said the battery incorporated “phosphate, manganese, or other metals.” The Luxeed S7 uses the CATL M3P battery, and as of last year, CATL was also working with Tesla to develop and validate this new cell. 

Lithium Manganese Rich (LMR) 

Photo by: Patrick George

LMR is the West’s version of LMFP. North America and Europe do not have the same LFP supply chain dominance as China, but the regions now recognize the importance of manganese in EV batteries to lower costs and rely less on NMC. LMR batteries lower the proportion of nickel and cobalt and increase the proportion of manganese, which is abundant and their supply chains are not as dependent on China. The result is a driving range similar to that of NMC batteries, at costs comparable to LFP packs.

General Motors and Ford are both working to develop LMR cells. GM is aiming to deploy them by 2028 on its full-size SUVs and trucks, targeting a driving range of over 400 miles.

Silicon Anode/Synthetic Graphite

Photo by: InsideEVs

This isn’t technically a battery chemistry, but a subcategory of the same. Battery makers have been trying to replace the traditional graphite anode with a better, more energy-dense and less voluminous material. And they’ve been increasingly experimenting with synthetic, lab-produced graphite or silicon. 

Two U.S. firms, Group14 Technologies and Sionic Energy, claim to have developed production-ready silicon anodes, which they say can shrink the size of the battery without compromising range. Silicon anodes are already common on Chinese smartphones, and they could soon become more common on EVs if battery makers can mass-produce them at reasonable prices.

Lithium Metal

Another way to replace the anode is to develop lithium metal batteries, according to researchers. Unlike today’s graphite anodes, lithium-metal batteries use a thin sheet of lithium itself as the anode. It’s lighter and holds more charge. That’s the upside. The downside is that lithium metal can cause dendrites—the growth of small and sharp spikes which can damage a battery.

Theoretically, lithium metal is the most energy-dense anode material possible, but also one of the most difficult ones to develop and scale. Several battery start-ups, such as Massachusetts-based Factorial Energy and California-based QuantumScape, are working on lithium metal batteries.  

Sodium-Ion

Photo by: CATL

Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as LFP alternatives for budget EVs and energy storage systems, especially in China. Instead of lithium ions shuttling between the electrodes, these batteries simply use sodium ions.

Studies suggest sodium is 1,000 times more abundant than lithium in Earth’s crust, but it’s less energy-dense, making it suitable for lower-range applications like e-scooters and small electric cars. CATL has already started making low-voltage sodium-ion batteries for large trucks and high-voltage packs for EVs, both of which apparently maintain exceptional performance even in extremely cold climates.

Solid-State Batteries

Photo by: SK On

In conventional lithium-ion batteries, the material that facilitates charge and discharge cycles is a liquid chemical. Solid-state batteries replace that liquid with a solid material, which can be ceramic, polymer, or sulfide-based. Battery makers say solid electrolytes could extend driving range, enable faster charging, increase durability and improve extreme weather performance. The problem is mass production at lower costs without defects. That’s why semi-solid batteries, which use a gel-like electrolyte, are expected to reach the market first, well before fully solid-state packs arrive.

Having the perfect trade-offs in a battery chemistry isn’t the endgame to deliver the best possible range, charging times, durability and lifespan. How they’re packaged in different cell shapes—such as cylindrical, pouch and prismatic—also plays a big role in how your EV will perform.

Plus, the way these cells are integrated into the vehicle, using modules or direct installation into the pack or the vehicle chassis, can heavily impact EV design and efficiency. We’ll dive deeper into these topics in a separate story, so stay tuned.

Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com

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