Geely, a Chinese group that owns many brands (Volvo, Polestar, etc.), has unveiled a new LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery. According to the company, it would have a lifespan of over 50 years and would be capable of traveling a million kilometers, all while charging faster and being less sensitive to the cold.
The million or nothing
Called the Aegis Short Blade, this battery receives a completely new diaphragm, a covering film between the positive and negative stages, which improves energy density. In addition, it uses electrodes (anode and cathode) covered with carbon nanotubes, among other things, which significantly reduce the internal chemical reaction rate. As a result, the degradation of the accumulator is significantly slower, which allows it to claim such a long lifespan.
The Chinese manufacturer, which also owns Zeekr and Lotus, claims that its invention can be recharged 3,500 times (or 285 km on average on a charge for a million kilometers), all with “minimal impact on battery life”.
Geely explains that such a lifespan will reduce carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tonnes per year, since there will be no need to change the battery or, worse, the car. This will therefore help preserve a better residual value for used electric vehicles.
LFP batteries seem to have a bright future – even Renault has just announced that it is getting into them – but they have the disadvantage of a lower energy density. In the case of the Short Blade, it still offers a capacity of 192 Wh/kg and is 40% shorter than a traditional blade battery.
Tested in extreme conditions
Comparative tests were carried out between traditional Blade batteries and this Short Blade battery. The latter charges significantly faster from 10 to 80% (from 26 min to only 17 min). Better still, at -30 °C, the former only has 78.96% of its capacity while the latter still has 90.54%.
And if the cell is punctured, a layer of aluminum foil automatically melts into the battery diaphragm to create an insulating layer. In order to prove the safety of the Aegis Short Blade, Geely put it through extreme tests (punctures, bullets, fire, immersion in seawater, crushing under 26 tons, etc.), all successfully.