The next generation of BMW electric vehicles promises up to 620 miles of range, 30 percent faster charging, and a cheaper production system that reduces carbon emissions – all with lithium-ion EV batteries like other manufacturers’ import cars.
One of BMW’s top battery engineers thinks those days may be numbered, and without adding something “game-changing” to the mix like silicon, we may be approaching the limits of what they can currently do. But he believes lithium-ion batteries will be the industry standard on a mass scale for years to come.
“From an energy perspective, I can say that we are facing the best lithium-ion cell chemistry in industrial applications” for large markets, said Simon Erhard, head of energy, performance, and life for BMW. to Gen6. battery “I think it’s a peak.”
Erhard believes the “next big thing” in battery development is probably supercharged batteries. He said that recently BMW specialists have recently opened a cell experience in Munich and continue to provide this technology, while working with the main educational path.
Additionally, BMW, along with Ford, is one of the two largest investors in Colorado-based Solid Power, which aims to be the first company to commercialize this technology – meaning the first solid-state batteries in automotive applications it may be in Fords or BMWs. Several other automakers are also working on this technology, including General Motors, Honda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Toyota.
In the coming years, BMW will make the biggest electric push yet, with a range of new models on a dedicated EV platform powered by sixth-generation batteries that use cylindrical cells and are produced in types of industries in the world. But those Gen6 batteries will use lithium-ion cells, and BMW doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.
Advanced batteries are a long-delayed technology that can deliver more energy to a smaller package than lithium-ion batteries, meaning cars can be built with less weight and a smaller battery footprint. space inside. chassis or battery.
In short, they use a solid material as the electrolyte in the battery cell, not the same liquid as conventional lithium-ion batteries. Other perceived benefits include a shorter charging time, improved safety, and perhaps most importantly, greater safety – the high-capacity cells are less expensive than current offerings, so there will be no more damage, EV headline fire. Solid state batteries also use lithium metal at the anode instead of heavy graphite.
With such advantages, high-capacity batteries are sometimes described as the “Holy Grail,” but securing them can seem like a challenge. They’ve seen delays for years now, but they’re still up there with flying cars always being “a few years away.”
Erhard said some of the delays in the industry are due to the fact that lithium-ion has not yet reached maturity, although he believes that is now the case with Gen6 batteries. Indeed, much of the R&D activity in the automotive industry has been around the development and improvement of lithium-ion batteries.
Erhard says that while there are always a variety of changes that engineers can make to current lithium-ion batteries to affect range, chemistry, and lifespan, it’s difficult to justify such improvements — which is what car manufacturers like BMW need cost-effectiveness to reach the tension. EV sales and decarbonization goals.
“If you want to have the right system brought to market on a large scale, I think it’s at its peak right now,” Erhard said.
Erhard said that currently, for BMW vehicles on the road and the upcoming “Neue Klasse” EVs, the automaker is still focusing on lithium-ion batteries. But he thinks that could change in the next decade.
“Let’s say 10 years, basically, all batteries are strong,” Erhard said. “But nowadays, and let’s say in the next three to five to eight years, we will rely on lithium-ion battery technology. Also, let’s say from 2030, there will be, from our point of view, a fully functional battery.
Whether that means a one-of-a-kind show or a wider production is unclear at this time, Erhard said. “To get industrialized and ready for mass market application, that will take time,” he said.
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