Samsung working on battery breakthrough for powering cars

KIMS BRIDGE
Nov 9, 2017
2 min read

Samsung working on battery breakthrough for powering cars

By KENICHI YAMADA, Nikkei staff writer, Nov. 8, 2017

Lithium-air promises twice the capacity of today's Li-ion tech

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics is developing technology that could give electric-vehicle batteries almost double the capacity of today's mainstream lithium-ion power packs, looking to get a step ahead of Toyota Motor's competing tech.

The South Korean icon is working on a breakthrough in lithium-air cells, regarded in the industry as the holy grail. Samsung's central research lab recently produced a lithium-air battery with a capacity of 520 watt-hours per kilogram.

Nissan Motor's new Leaf can run 400km on a full charge. Samsung's new battery would theoretically let a similar electric vehicle go more than 700km.

Samsung achieved this impressive capacity by cutting the width of the separator by more than 90% to 20 microns, making it possible to cram in more cells.

But the technology is not nearly ready for market. Recharging is one challenge.

Performance takes a dive after 20 charge-discharge cycles -- a serious problem for a battery that will need recharging thousands of times. Furthermore, the battery takes several hours to fully charge.

Samsung apparently aims to commercialize the power pack by 2030. It will test various materials and shapes for the cathode and anode in hopes of improving performance.

Two generations of tech

The electric vehicles that have taken off worldwide largely get power from lithium-ion batteries, which can store far more electricity than the nickel-metal hydride cells Toyota has long used in its hybrids. Though Japanese automakers led the way in lithium-ion technology, it has since spread throughout Asia, with Panasonic, Samsung SDI, South Korea's LG Chem and Chinese players all vying for market share.

Solid-state batteries are widely seen as the next step. Conventional lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte to carry ions between electrodes. Solid-state cells replace this with a solid electrolyte less prone to deterioration, extending battery life as well as reducing the risk of leaks and fires. The technology is also expected to cut charging times while increasing capacity.

Toyota has 200 engineers developing solid-state batteries, targeting commercialization by the mid-2020s. Calling the technology a potential future game changer, Executive Vice President Didier Leroy said that the company has already created a prototype and that preparing for mass production will be the next phase.

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