Lithium metal battery commercialization "eve"
The electrification of global vehicles is galloping forward, and the commercialization of next-generation power lithium-ion batteries is also becoming increasingly fierce.
As a representative company of the next-generation power lithium-ion battery, SES recently released the latest 100Ah single-cell lithium metal battery. At the same time, it introduced its industrialization schedule, customer cooperation and listing process in detail.
Hu Qichao, founder and CEO of SES, shows the Apollo™ large cell
Different from the all-solid-state battery path chosen by peers such as QuantumScape and SolidPower, SES focuses on hybrid lithium metal batteries.
The idea of Hu Qichao, founder and CEO of SES, is that lithium metal batteries are undoubtedly the final direction, but the realization of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries is very difficult, and industrialization is not realistic, and the hybrid lithium metal battery method maintains the high energy of solid-state lithium metal batteries. The advantage of density, while maintaining the same production process and manufacturability as lithium-ion batteries.
Also based on this, in 2015, Hu Qichao adjusted the company's original plan to make solid-state lithium metal batteries into a hybrid lithium metal battery, and changed the name from the previous "Solid Energy Systems" to "SES".
Taking the first SESBatteryWorld event as an observation window, Gaogong Lithium believes that from the perspective of product development cycle, car enterprise application, capital operation and other dimensions, the next generation of power lithium-ion batteries represented by lithium metal batteries has entered a new stage of commercialization. stage.
1. From the perspective of technology and product development process, lithium metal batteries have jumped from the initial single-layer, multi-layer, Ah-level cells to the vehicle-grade 100Ah cell level, and are moving towards the "eve" of commercial loading.
At this press conference, the Apollo™ lithium metal battery announced by SES has a capacity of 107Ah, becoming the world's first public display of a single lithium metal battery exceeding 100Ah, which means that it is a big step closer to commercial loading.
SESApollo™ large cell performance data
In terms of performance indicators, the Apollo™ 107Ah battery weighs only 0.982Kg and has an energy density of 417Wh/kg and 935Wh/L. It has been tested for 10 hours, 3 hours and 1 hour at room temperature, showing extremely high capacity and Energy Density.
From the perspective of engineering and manufacturing, SES has mastered a set of core material technologies for the industrialization of hybrid lithium metal batteries, and explored the complete production process and manufacturing process:
Wide Lithium Metal Anode: Ultra-thin Metal Anode Manufactured by Own Intellectual Property Process
Composite Anode Coatings: Improved Safety Through Mechanical Barriers
Polymer-based separators: highly manufacturable advanced separators
Highly concentrated liquid electrolyte formulation: low volatility and self-extinguishing
High Energy Density Cathode: Highly Manufacturable Advanced Cathode Technology
This will play a crucial role in the subsequent large-scale manufacturing and verification.
Gaogong Lithium believes that compared with companies such as QuantumScape and SolidPower that focus on solid-state lithium metal batteries, SES took the lead in launching its 107Ah large cell, which is related to other companies still staying at the multi-layer or small cell level. , is a very big jump, a substantial step forward in terms of lithium metal batteries.
Compared with other companies, the hybrid lithium metal battery selected by SES is more feasible in industrialization. It not only maintains the characteristics of high energy density of lithium metal battery, but also matches the existing lithium ion battery in process and manufacturing. High, which is the fundamental reason why SES can take the lead in launching 100Ah lithium metal batteries.
In fact, in China, many battery companies, including Fengli New Energy, are also considering or deploying the hybrid lithium metal battery route selected by SES.
Gaogong Lithium believes that although there are still many challenges in cycle performance, cost, mechanical structure design, etc., with the increasing number of entrants, the hybrid lithium metal battery route will become an important path choice for the commercialization of lithium metal batteries.
2. Judging from the actual feedback and action rhythm of the international car companies, the commercial application and verification of lithium metal batteries have been accelerated, and the general plan will be "on the bus" around 2025.
According to this rhythm, the layout of car companies is obviously becoming more frequent, which is reflected in two levels: on the one hand, major car companies are actively participating in the investment and financing process of solid-state battery companies, and their ambition is to look forward to the next generation of batteries. In deployment. On the other hand, it is to accelerate the technical development and cooperation with battery companies to promote the verification of next-generation batteries.
SESApollo™ Lithium Metal Battery
Taking SES as an example, it has received investment from GM and Hyundai Motor. At the same time, SES is cooperating with GM and Hyundai on A sample, and plans to launch A sample of automotive-grade lithium metal battery next year, supply C sample in 2024, and officially open lithium metal battery in 2025. commercial mass production.
In order to cooperate with the verification of samples B and C, SES announced at this event that it is building a Shanghai super factory, which is planned to be completed in 2023. After completion, the output will reach 1GWh, which will be the largest lithium metal battery factory in the world. .
From a global perspective, the penetration rate of electrification in Europe and my country has both passed the 10 percent inflection point, and market breakthroughs have accelerated significantly. For car companies, the introduction of higher-performance batteries to improve product competitiveness has become a market under the new cycle. key point of competition.
Domestic and foreign car companies know that the time window is shrinking to promote lithium metal batteries "on the car" in 2025. Commercialization must be started as soon as possible. In terms of business model, after 2025, the power lithium-ion battery is supported, and car companies also hope to participate more deeply and control the core voice. This is the current stage for car companies to increase their focus on lithium metal batteries. Another reason for the card slot.
3. Capital is the blood that drives the industry forward, and it is also a weather vane for observing the stage of industry development. Looking around the world, next-generation battery companies have entered the mid-to-late stage of financing, especially in the United States, where there is a phenomenon of centralized listing. The next-generation battery is gradually completing the preliminary technology development stage and entering a new cycle of batch industrialization.
Internationally, in July, SES announced a definitive merger agreement with Ivanhoe. When the transaction closes, the combined company will be valued at approximately 3.4 billion and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol "SES."
In June, SolidPower announced it would go public as a SPAC, valuing the combined company at about 1.2 billion and expected to go public in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Last December, QuantumScape completed a SPAC listing at a price of 3.3 billion for the new company. In the following months, its stock price continued to soar, reaching a maximum of 132.73, with a market value of more than 47.7 billion.
Looking at the domestic market, several solid-state battery companies, including Huineng, Qingtao, and Weilan, have entered a new round of financing and listing in the mass production stage. Behind the accelerated capital process, it means that the thirst for capital of the next generation of battery companies is increasing, and this thirst will be mainly prepared for industrialization.
As relevant companies at home and abroad accelerate their listing, they will gradually move from the previous stage of technology research and development to the stage of engineering and manufacturing, whether it is the mass production of solid electrolytes, lithium metal anodes, or the deployment of larger cell-level pilot lines. It will enter a critical stage before mass production, which requires continuous investment of a larger amount of funds and blood transfusion.
Fourth, from the perspective of policy orientation, the industrialization of next-generation power lithium-ion batteries has been put on the agenda, including my country, the European Union, the United States and other major economies have made policy guidance and planning arrangements for the development and mass production of lithium metal batteries , Driven by this, it is foreseeable that in the next few years, the world will accelerate the industrialization process of lithium metal batteries by means of policy guidance, financial subsidies, and industrial chain coordination.
Gaogong Lithium believes that the battle for the next generation of power lithium-ion batteries has gradually entered a fierce battle. The new stage will no longer focus solely on the pros and cons of a single technical indicator, but will focus on various aspects of large-scale manufacturing. Reserves, which include the comprehensive strength of capital, customers, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, management capabilities, supply chain planning and deployment, and other links.
The revolution in battery technology is not just a purely technical evolution, but will also subvert the existing industrial structure and industry form. For a next-generation battery company such as SES, only by relying on its own technological precipitation, establishing a feasible industrialization path, and working with upstream and downstream strategic partners in the industrial chain, can it truly realize the industrialization of new technologies and products. landing.
