Gotion High-Tech begins serial production of 210 Wh/kg LFP batteries
According to company CEO Li Zhen, Volkswagen’s Chinese battery partner Gotion High-Tech has achieved industrialisation of the battery cell with LFP chemistry presented at the beginning of 2021, which offers an energy density of 210 Wh/kg. The company is also working on a semi-solid-state battery that is expected to reach 360 Wh/kg.
Li confirmed this during his appearance at the China EV100 Forum 2022. In addition, Gotion plans to bring LFP cells with an energy density of 230 Wh/kg to series production by the end of this year.
The energy densities mentioned, as mentioned at the presentation of the cell with 210 Wh/kg, are the energy density at cell level, not the gravimetric energy density in the ready-to-install battery pack. There is no confirmed statement from Gotion on this value. The portal InsideEVs estimated at the time that it could rise “to about 180 Wh/kg”.
By comparison, CATL’s LFP cells, which are installed in the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in Shanghai, reportedly come to 125 Wh/kg at pack level. CATL itself also presented the third generation of its cell-to-pack technology at the China EV100 Forum, which is said to enable 160 Wh/kg at pack level. Based on Tesla’s 60 kWh pack, this 28 per cent improvement could enable a 76 kWh pack in a mid-size sedan – with LFP cells.
Gotion CEO Li is also aware of the importance of the development – especially with regard to the 230 Wh/kg cells. “At that moment, ternary-lithium batteries will be replaced by LFP ones on a larger scale in Gotion,” Li said. Ternary lithium batteries group together cell chemistries with three metals in the cathode – so mostly NCM or NCA cells, which are common in BEVs.
In addition to LFP cells, Gotion High-Tech is also working on semi-solid-state batteries. Here, Li simply stated that the industrialisation of such a semi-solid-state cell was being pursued “with vigour”. According to his information, such a cell should reach 360 Wh/kg. According to the report by the portal Gasgoo, he did not give any further details on the cell chemistry.
As reported, Volkswagen has been the largest shareholder in Gotion since June 2020, with a 26 per cent stake. According to data from the Chinese Twitter user ‘Moneyball’, the company has a production capacity of 3.3 GWh in China. In the short term, it plans to expand to 13 GWh, and later to 28 GWh. By 2023, it should already be 80 GWh.
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