xEV Battery Technology, Application, and Market

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of USCAR, is a collaborative research organization comprised of technical personnel from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. USABC has been pursuing advanced energy storage technologies for electrified vehicles for over 30 years. This talk will highlight recent updates to USABC’s long term battery development targets and provide an overview of expected upcoming funding opportunities for US-based battery suppliers.

Solid-state electrolyte SSE materials hold the key to enabling highly efficient solid-state battery technologies. Thus, the demonstration of SSEs capable of meeting the performance metrics demanded is of paramount importance. Herein, we will provide an update related to progresses being made in the area of SSE material development.

Nissan has introduced the all-new, 3rd generation LEAF to the North American market, building on years of real-world EV experience. This presentation explores how the unique insights gained from previous LEAF models enabled breakthrough battery innovations, developed exclusively for the 3rd generation model. It also demonstrates how these advancements deliver a superior electric mobility experience that only the 3rd generation LEAF can provide.

The 21C Lab serves as a hub for academic research and industrial development. We present a case study on gas generation in lithium metal batteries, illustrating how industry perspectives focus research and how fundamental understanding yields solutions. We introduce an anode treatment that mitigates gas generation—a critical issue for high-rate applications like electric aviation—without altering electrolyte composition or cycling conditions, advancing LMB development.

Natrion’s Active Separator is a polymer-ceramic composite electrolyte that is manufactured into a thin, flexible, freestanding film with identical mechanical characteristics to conventional Li-ion battery separators. Swapping Active Separator into Li-ion cells has been demonstrated to contribute to improvements in cycling performance, safety, and unit economics. Natrion is also commercializing ambient pressure/temperature 13 Ah Li-metal cells based on Active Separator with high cycle life and energy density (>380 Wh/kg, >1000 Wh/L) capabilities. Natrion presently manufactures Active Separator to 45X compliance out of a new production facility in Buffalo, NY.

LFP as an alternative cathode-active material is becoming the mainstream of more affordable EV models or attractive to people who are more concerned about EV battery safety. Using LFP in ASSB could also serve the same purpose. However, the compatibility between LFP and solid electrolyte and the rate capability of LFP SSB needs to be addressed. In this presentation, the progress of research on LFP cathode SSB will be reported.

Toshiba's high-power lithium-ion battery, utilizing lithium-titanium oxide (LTO) anodes, known as SCiB, is expanding its applications across automotive, industrial, and various other sectors. This presentation explores the potential and innovative ideas for low-voltage board net systems leveraging the unique characteristics of SCiB cells. Through this, Toshiba aims to offer battery solutions that excel in efficiency, reliability, and safety for low-voltage systems.

Main hurdles when it comes to convincing customer to switch to fully electric vehicles are range anxiety, charging time and safety. Immersion Cooling, also known as direct liquid cooling, enables sustained High Power Charging (HPC) of more than 250 kW resulting in charging times as short as a conventional refueling process of an ICE car. At the same time immersion cooling improves battery safety significantly and has the potential to prolong the life of the battery pack.