ees Europe is an annual occasion that brings collectively battery and vitality 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 vitality density of conventional packs that use typical lithium-ion cylindrical cells. Growing the dimensions of the battery to cut back the variety of cells in a pack is an efficient solution to optimize the configuration of battery pack, the corporate says.

ProLogium calls its next-generation solid-state product a “giant footprint lithium ceramic battery,” or LLCB for brief. The idea is much like the considering behind the Tesla 4680 cylindrical cells — extra vitality storage medium + much less packaging = greater vitality density. In contrast to the 4680 cells, nevertheless, the ProLogium resolution is a big rectangular cell that dwarfs typical cylindrical cells. See the graphic above for a visible comparability.

In Could, the Taiwanese firm introduced it should construct its first abroad solid-state battery manufacturing unit in Dunkirk, France, this 12 months. That manufacturing unit would require an funding of €5.2 billion and have a complete deliberate capability of 48 GWh a 12 months as soon as all phases of the venture are accomplished. The Dunkirk manufacturing unit will function a producing base to provide 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 vitality options to our companions,” mentioned Vincent Yang, CEO and founding father of ProLogium Know-how. “Final 12 months, we introduced the primary strong state battery with 100% silicon oxide anode designed to allow greater vitality density on the cell degree. Now, we’re happy to current the LLCB, one other pioneering battery idea that can take EV battery design to the following degree by way of 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 sort batteries by way of 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 superb 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 doable to have extra vitality storage capability inside a given area.

“In different phrases, the LLCB will allow larger design flexibility for EVs,” mentioned Simon Wu, assistant vice chairman of ProLogium Know-how. “For a similar area because the mainstream 2170 EV battery pack, the LLCB pack’s volumetric vitality density could be almost doubled, and for a similar complete vitality, the LLCB pack’s weight could be reduce by as much as 115 kg. Extra importantly, the LLCB manufacturing processes will produce much less waste by way of substrate supplies, and the decreased variety of cells would require much less uncooked supplies, which suggests elevated sustainability and affordability.”

Polun Cheng, the top of venture administration for the corporate, mentioned, “ProLogium is at present cooperating with FEV, a globally main engineering supplier within the automotive trade and internationally acknowledged chief of innovation throughout totally different sectors and industries, to hold out verification assessments 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 accordance with ArenaEV, ProLogium’s declare that its LLCB battery pack doubles the vitality density of battery packs that use present battery expertise implies that a Mercedes EQE 350+ may double its capability from about 90 kWh to almost 180 kWh, which might enhance its driving vary by 79% to 447 miles. Sharp-eyed readers will be aware immediately {that a} 180 kWh battery would most likely 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:

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 12 months. Now, Germany’s Supervisor Magazin experiences Porsche has purchased out Cellforce and has upped its aim for the brand new battery manufacturing unit to twenty GWh a 12 months — sufficient to energy 180,000 to 200,000 electrical automobiles a 12 months. The brand new manufacturing unit will reportedly require an funding of round €1 billion. Manufacturing is anticipated to start early subsequent 12 months and enhance over the following 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. At the moment, its main battery provider is LG Power Resolution. There are loads of transferring items in its battery technique, nevertheless.

Cellforce entered right into a partnership with Siemens in Could that may deal with your complete 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 expounded to the current announcement by Volkswagen Group that it has perfected a brand new course of for dry coating battery parts. In accordance with Der Spiegel (paywall), the dry coating course of reduces vitality consumption within the manufacturing of battery cells by 30%, which may decrease the price of electrical automobiles by a number of hundred euros per car. Along with the coating expertise supplied 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 fantastic, 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 may pursue the event and commercialization of battery cells for an unnamed automotive OEM. That OEM is Normal Motors (GM), in accordance with Electrive.

The Takeaway

In 2022, Porsche manufactured 309,884 automobiles. If it has plans to promote 200,000 electrical automobiles throughout the subsequent few years, it appears secure to say the EV revolution is effectively underway. As for ProLogium, extra vitality density may imply longer-range automobiles, nevertheless it may additionally imply smaller, lighter battery packs with the identical efficiency as immediately’s bigger, heavier packs. There isn’t a phrase on the price of its LLCBs, nevertheless. So far, solid-state batteries have promised many benefits, however low value just isn’t certainly one of them. Thrilling occasions forward.