The EV solid-state battery co-developed by Dongfeng Motor and Ganfeng Lithium was announced yesterday, and will be applied on 50 units of EVs that will demonstrate operation through ride-hailing. However, there is something weird about this powerful battery technology.
The solid-state battery co-developed by Dongfeng Motor and Ganfeng Lithium will be officially shipped with 50 vehicles this week that will be incorporated into the ride-hailing platform of Xinyu, Jiangxi, and unfold the first operation of solid-state EVs in the world.
Compared to the lithium-ion batteries commonly adopted by existing EVs, solid-state batteries do not require electrolytes, which make them safer, more resistant to fire and explosions, as well as prone to elevation of energy density that will lower the overall cost of EVs. Bearing these significant advantages, it is no surprise that solid-state battery has become a priority among automotive manufacturers, and the world debut by Dongfeng Motor has also provided additional prestige to the product.
The official information claims that the new battery is adopted with the solid-state flexible diaphragm technology, and showed no abnormalities after puncture, 180°C heating, and 50% suppression, which also demonstrated its high level of safety. The module frame is adopted with aluminum alloy, paired with laser welding technology that facilitates higher assembling efficiency on the whole, and a battery management system is also tailored to the properties of solid-state batteries to optimize overall performance.
Ganfeng Lithium, which is responsible for the production of the battery, commented that it has now initiated the operation for its second phase production lines, and will arrive at an annual capacity of 10GWh. Is this battery, equipped with capacity and technology, going to dominate the global EV market? Wait a minute, when have we ever seen a new battery announcement without any sort of energy statistics? Let’s put aside the energy density and assemblage of this battery; the company didn’t even mention the degree of improvement in the driving range of the Fengshen E70 when equipped with the new battery. What is going on here?
Technically speaking, the battery adopted by Dongfeng Motor should be referred to as a “semi solid-state battery”, which still utilizes electrolytes, and is merely wrapped with a solid diaphragm on the outside that although increases the security aspect, imposes no differences in terms of performance and energy density.
With that being said, the battery is still a rather competitive technology if it remains functional after puncture, suppression, high heat treatment, and is resistant to fire or explosions, as claimed by Dongfeng Motor. The battery will be desired by GM at least, since the company would want to avoid yet another fire and explosion like we saw on Chevy Bolt.
(Cover photo source: Dongfeng Motor)