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The Taiwanese manufacturer Gogoro has unveiled a solid battery specimen developed jointly with the specialist in the genre, ProLogium Technology. It is intended to integrate the range of electric scooters from Gogoro whose batteries are removable.
The Taiwanese Gogoro, specializing in electric scooters – but also bicycles – with interchangeable batteries, has just unveiled a solid battery also called a solid electrolyte battery. Developed jointly with the specialist in the genre, ProLogium Technology, this lithium-ceramic battery adopts the same format as the batteries used on the brand’s scooters.
The difference is in terms of capacity with 2.5 kWh against 1.7 kWh for liquid lithium-ion batteries. The advantage of such a battery is based on the one hand on the absence of overheating, which makes a cooling system unnecessary, and on the other hand on a better energy density. Concretely, compared to a conventional lithium-ion battery of equivalent size, a solid battery will be able to offer more kilometers. Added to this is a faster recharge time. In the case of Gogoro, this is a major asset.
Indeed, on the island of Taiwan, battery swapping has become the norm with 95% of electric scooters equipped. There are more than 10,000 exchange stations spread over 2,300 locations nationwide. The network records up to 340,000 daily battery exchanges. Despite this announcement, Gogoro does not give any technical data (weight, charging time, autonomy, charging cycles, etc.) or the date from which this new battery will be integrated into the exchange network.
In France, Gogoro had become known through COUP, an electric scooter sharing service, the equivalent of Cityscoot, the precursor in Paris. But in 2019, the subsidiary of the Bosch group ceased its activities in France, the project not being economically viable in the long term.
Liquid electrolyte versus solid electrolyte
Expected by many car manufacturers, the solid battery seems revolutionary. Today, a classic battery is composed of a cathode (positive electrode), an anode (negative electrode), a separator and a liquid electrolyte. Depending on the chemistry and materials used, the properties of the battery will vary and affect capacity, power and recharge. Still, not everything is rosy with this type of battery. Thus are pointed out the weight, the charging time and especially overheating that can cause thermal runaway.
The solution to this problem would come from a solid electrolyte allowing the passage of ions. The advantages are numerous such as less overheating; they are lighter, but above all have a higher energy density. The power-to-weight ratio makes the solid battery an undeniable asset for electric vehicles. Thus, on the autonomy component, the gain is estimated at between 30 to 50% compared to an electric vehicle equipped with a conventional battery.
Solid batteries signed Solid Power. © Solid Power
But not everything relies on the solid electrolyte. Indeed, a report by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy specializing in lithium-ion batteries, shows that “the next big technological step in the field of batteries is less the all-solid electrolyte as such than its combination with a lithium-metal anode“.
According to Rory McNulty, analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the “real technological leap in terms of performance” is not so much the solid electrolyte as the chemistry of the anode (negative electrode). Also according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, today the best chemistry is the lithium-metal anode which “would allow to exceed 350 Wh/kg at the cell level against 250-280 Wh/kg for the best lithium-ion“. But for now, the technology is not advanced enough for mass production.
It’s not just Solid Power that is interested in solid-state batteries, manufacturers Fisker and Sakti3 as well. © Fisker
According to Kieran O’Regan, consultant at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the manipulation of “high-purity lithium metal, extremely sensitive to humidity and other atmospheric variations, while avoiding losses and remaining competitive” requires the development of new processes. “This is one of the major difficulties“he adds.
However, some players in the sector opt for intermediate solutions such as a silicone-graphite anode, but which has “much lower energy density than lithium-metal“. This solution will “develop industrial processes that can, in due course, be used to manufacture lithium-metal“.
If mass production of the solid-state battery is expected around 2025-2030, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that each year, 70,000 electric vehicles could be equipped with lithium-metal batteries. And to conclude that by 2030, the production capacity should “reach the figure of 260 GWh“. A drop of water compared”to the 4.8 TWh capacity planned for traditional Lithium-ion!“. (source Industry & Technologies)