ProLogium Introduces 2nd-Gen Strong-State Battery, Porsche Consolidates Battery Manufacturing

ees Europe is an annual occasion that brings collectively battery and power storage specialists from all world wide. Final week at ees 2023 in Munich, ProLogium launched its second-generation solid-state battery, which is claims can create packs which have double the power density of conventional packs that use standard lithium-ion cylindrical cells. Rising the scale of the battery to scale back the variety of cells in a pack is an efficient method to optimize the configuration of battery pack, the corporate says.

ProLogium calls its next-generation solid-state product a “massive footprint lithium ceramic battery,” or LLCB for brief. The idea is just like the pondering behind the Tesla 4680 cylindrical cells — extra power storage medium + much less packaging = larger power density. In contrast to the 4680 cells, nonetheless, the ProLogium answer is a big rectangular cell that dwarfs standard cylindrical cells. See the graphic above for a visible comparability.

In Might, the Taiwanese firm introduced it can construct its first abroad solid-state battery manufacturing facility in Dunkirk, France, this yr. That manufacturing facility would require an funding of €5.2 billion and have a complete deliberate capability of 48 GWh a yr as soon as all phases of the mission are accomplished. The Dunkirk manufacturing facility will function a producing base to produce the European EV market, enabling ProLogium to mass produce its next-generation solid-state batteries and localize its R&D and provide chain forward of its opponents.

“With a transparent roadmap for capability ramp-up and expertise improvement, we’re making an all-out effort to speed up the electrification revolution by offering improved power options to our companions,” stated Vincent Yang, CEO and founding father of ProLogium Expertise. “Final yr, we introduced the primary strong state battery with 100% silicon oxide anode designed to allow larger power density on the cell stage. Now, we’re happy to current the LLCB, one other pioneering battery idea that can take EV battery design to the subsequent stage when it comes to lengthy vary, mild weight and design flexibility. ”

Because of the distinctive construction of its large-format solid-state battery, ProLogium says it has surpassed the bounds of liquid kind batteries when it comes to floor space and capability. Its LLCB permits for a decreased variety of cells and the omission of parallel connections contained in the battery pack. The simplified pack construction can in flip facilitate ease of upkeep and discount of possession value. As well as, its flat form and the wonderful thermal conductivity of the solid-state ceramic electrolyte make the cooling system for an LLCB battery pack a lot much less complicated, which makes it potential to have extra power storage capability inside a given area.

“In different phrases, the LLCB will allow larger design flexibility for EVs,” stated Simon Wu, assistant vice chairman of ProLogium Expertise. “For a similar area because the mainstream 2170 EV battery pack, the LLCB pack’s volumetric power density will be practically doubled, and for a similar whole power, the LLCB pack’s weight will be minimize by as much as 115 kg. Extra importantly, the LLCB manufacturing processes will produce much less waste when it comes to substrate supplies, and the decreased variety of cells would require much less uncooked supplies, which implies elevated sustainability and affordability.”

Polun Cheng, the top of mission administration for the corporate, stated, “ProLogium is at the moment cooperating with FEV, a globally main engineering supplier within the automotive business and internationally acknowledged chief of innovation throughout completely different sectors and industries, to hold out verification exams of the LLCB and design relevant options. Samples are focused to be delivered to European automobile OEMs for testing as early as the tip of 2023.”

In line with ArenaEV, ProLogium’s declare that its LLCB battery pack doubles the power density of battery packs that use present battery expertise implies that a Mercedes EQE 350+ may double its capability from about 90 kWh to just about 180 kWh, which might enhance its driving vary by 79% to 447 miles. Sharp-eyed readers will observe immediately {that a} 180 kWh battery would in all probability value about double what a 90 kWh pack does, however in case you are a Mercedes buyer, that might not be an issue. Right here’s a useful video that explains extra concerning the ProLogium LLCB:

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Porsche Charts Its Personal Battery Technique

Porsche entered right into a partnership in 2021 with Customcells to fabricate high-performance battery cells for its electrical automobiles. The partnership was referred to as Cellforce Group, and it deliberate to fabricate about 100 MWh of batteries a yr. Now, Germany’s Supervisor Magazin experiences Porsche has purchased out Cellforce and has upped its purpose for the brand new battery manufacturing facility to 20 GWh a yr — sufficient to energy 180,000 to 200,000 electrical autos a yr. The brand new manufacturing facility will reportedly require an funding of round €1 billion. Manufacturing is anticipated to start early subsequent yr and enhance over the subsequent few years till full capability is reached.

It has been broadly reported that Porsche is intent on bringing battery manufacturing in-house, and constructing a battery provide chain that’s largely based mostly in Europe. This present day, its main battery provider is LG Vitality Answer. There are a variety of transferring items in its battery technique, nonetheless.

Cellforce entered right into a partnership with Siemens in Might that might concentrate on your entire battery improvement and manufacturing course of. It additionally entered into a number of different partnerships, together with a system for coating electrodes for high-performance battery cells from Dürr.

We have no idea at this level if that information is said to the latest announcement by Volkswagen Group that it has perfected a brand new course of for dry coating battery elements. In line with Der Spiegel (paywall), the dry coating course of reduces power consumption within the manufacturing of battery cells by 30%, which may decrease the price of electrical automobiles by a number of hundred euros per automobile. Along with the coating expertise offered by Dürr, Trumpf, a mechanical engineering firm, is contributing its high-precision laser expertise as a part of a strategic cooperation.

Customcells apparently is doing simply superb, although, after being pushed out of the Cellforce three way partnership by Porsche. Electrive experiences that it has agreed on a “project-based partnership” with the Californian battery developer OneD Battery Sciences situated in Palo Alto, California. Collectively they’ll pursue the event and commercialization of battery cells for an unnamed automotive OEM. That OEM is Common Motors (GM), based on Electrive.

The Takeaway

In 2022, Porsche manufactured 309,884 automobiles. If it has plans to promote 200,000 electrical automobiles inside the subsequent few years, it appears protected to say the EV revolution is properly underway. As for ProLogium, extra power density may imply longer-range autos, however it may additionally imply smaller, lighter battery packs with the identical efficiency as as we speak’s bigger, heavier packs. There is no such thing as a phrase on the price of its LLCBs, nonetheless. Up to now, solid-state batteries have promised many benefits, however low value just isn’t one in every of them. Thrilling instances forward.