New Breakthroughs in Energy Technology Solid-state Battery

New Breakthroughs in Energy Technology solid-state battery
500Wh/kg! CATL released its latest solid-state battery, making gasoline vehicles truly dangerous?

With a charging time of 3 minutes and a range of 500 kilometers, 1.4 times higher than Tesla's 4680, which can fly in the air and drive on the ground, this is Ningde Times' latest and most influential research achievement - the solid-state battery.

At the recent Shanghai Auto Show, CATL held a press conference that lasted for 7 minutes, once again shaking the entire oil industry. As the "heart" of the vehicle, the size of the battery directly affects the vehicle's endurance capacity, which is currently one of the biggest controversies in the market. With this new energy source, the problem can now be solved.

The solid-state battery is a type of semi-solid battery we are familiar with, with a gel-like liquid inside. Its energy density is much higher than that of ordinary lithium batteries. For example, Tesla's previously heavily publicized 4680 lithium battery has an energy density of up to 350 Wh/kg, while the solid-state battery has a density of 500 Wh/kg, 1.4 times higher. If applied to new energy vehicles, the range could even exceed 1000 kilometers.

According to industry insiders, 500 Wh/kg is just an undeveloped premise of the current solid-state battery. With the development of technology, the upper limit of the 500 Wh/kg energy density is still possible to be exceeded. This means that not only a small car but even a giant spaceship can be powered by it. Undoubtedly, Chinese companies such as CATL and BYD have led China's new energy to the forefront of the world.

As for the safety issue that users are most concerned about, CATL's answer is also clear. Unlike ordinary liquid lithium-ion batteries, its semi-solid gel reduces the flow of electrolytes, but its stability is better, ensuring the conductivity of positive and negative electrodes and its safety. It will not cause fires due to collisions.

In addition to high energy density and high safety, its biggest advantage is the ability for rapid charging. According to the latest data, a new solid-state battery can fully charge in five minutes. This means that while using the restroom or shopping, you can quickly charge your vehicle, which was previously unimaginable but now has become a reality. With the use of this new battery, consumers will no longer question pure electric vehicles.

According to relevant data, by 2022, new energy vehicles will sell 12 million units worldwide, accounting for 12% of the entire automobile market.

In China, the total sales volume of new energy vehicles in 2022 will be 6.887 million units, accounting for 25.6% of the total market share. In addition, according to the latest data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, from January to March 2023, China's sales of new energy vehicles will reach 1.65 million units, an increase of 27.7% year-on-year. Sales will surpass 26.2%, and market share will exceed 26%. At the current growth rate, by the end of 2024, the market share of new energy vehicles in China will approach 30%.

It can be seen that the growth rate of new energy vehicles in the world is very fast and will soon replace gasoline vehicles as the mainstream of the automobile market. The battery is the "core" of new energy vehicles and is a huge market. Companies such as BYD, Samsung, SKI, and Panasonic have competed with CATL, and even upstream lithium salt companies such as Ganfeng Lithium are also working on the development of solid-state batteries.

However, due to the high cost and technical difficulties of the battery industry, market development has been stagnant for a long time. CATL's new product undoubtedly gives many people the feeling of surpassing gasoline vehicles. If gasoline vehicles cannot update their technology in time, they are likely to be swallowed up by new energy vehicles.