Views: 1267 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2024-03-23 Origin: Site
Why do many electric vehicles use LifePO4 batteries?
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are breaking down barriers in the electric vehicle (EV) market. It's poised to redefine battery manufacturing and electric vehicle sales in North America and Europe. It's powerful, it's lightweight, it charges fast...but LFP is actually nothing new.
LFP is a lithium-ion battery.
The resurgence of LFP batteries and their role in future electric vehicles has many asking the question: Which battery chemistry is best for electric vehicles, lithium iron phosphate or lithium-ion?
Since lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries are the type of rechargeable battery most people are probably familiar with, it seems like a logical choice. They are used in many everyday items such as cell phones, laptops and electric cars on the road today. But when it comes to discussing the pros and cons of each electric vehicle battery, it's not a battle between lithium iron phosphate and lithium-ion batteries.
The lithium-ion battery family consists of different battery chemistries named after their cathodes; LFP is a member of this family. While LFP is a lithium-ion battery, not all lithium-ion is LFP. Other lithium-ion batteries include nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) batteries and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) batteries. Both are already heavily used in electric vehicles.
The “F” in LFP stands for iron.
Batteries are often named after the chemistry used in the cathode, and LFP batteries use a cathode material made from the inorganic compound lithium iron phosphate, with the molecular formula LiFePO4. "F" comes from "Fe," the chemical symbol for iron on the periodic table of elements. Fe is derived from the Latin iron, ferrum. You may also see LFP called lithium iron phosphate batteries.
EV LifePO4 batteries can be charged up to 100%.
If you want your electric car to live a long, happy life, you have to keep your electric car battery healthy. If your EV has an NMC or NCA battery, one of the easiest things to do is not charge the battery to 100% every day. This prevents accelerated calendar aging, the natural aging that occurs regardless of whether the battery is used or not. Charging an NMC or NCA to 100% puts the battery in an extreme state of charge. Because batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy, batteries are inherently unstable when fully charged. Overall, best practice is to avoid over- and under-charging, with 80% being the standard battery capacity for optimal life.
However, LFP batteries are an exception to this charging standard. LFPs have 100% usable capacity, which means they can be fully charged without causing accelerated battery degradation. This is thanks to the cathode of the battery.
The phosphorus-oxygen bond in the LFP cathode is stronger than the metal-oxygen bond in other cathode materials. This combination blocks the release of oxygen, requiring more energy and a higher starting temperature to achieve thermal runaway. This makes the battery more stable when fully charged.
LiFePO4 is a lower cost option.
Electric vehicles are booming in popularity, and there is increasing demand for more companies to switch from internal combustion engines to batteries. However, even as demand increases, the cost of building an electric car is still higher than that of a traditional diesel engine due to battery manufacturing.
Making NMC and NCA batteries requires nickel and cobalt, both of which are expensive to extract. Purchasing both materials is already expensive. Nonetheless, a growing nickel shortage and cobalt production reaching its limits pose challenges to manufacturing NMC and NCA batteries and enabling their affordable integration into electric vehicles.
LFP batteries, on the other hand, currently bypass supply chain issues and price increases because the cathode does not require nickel and cobalt. The LFP’s cathode is made from materials that are abundant on Earth. Lithium iron phosphate is a crystalline compound belonging to the olivine mineral family. Because the olivine family is a major component of Earth's upper mantle, LFP is easier to extract at a lower cost.
As an EV power battery, 17% of the global EV market is powered by lifepo4 batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries were first introduced in 1996, so it’s no surprise that this battery chemistry is already showing up in the electric vehicle market. Discoverer John Bannister Goodenough's research group At the University of Texas, LFP cells are being recognized for their wide range of advantages. Even with their advantageous features, lifepo4 batteries did not see their first mass adoption until 10 years later, when they became the darling of the electronics industry.
LifePO4 batterytechnology has improved over the years and can now be found in a wider range of applications, from motorcycles and solar equipment to electric vehicles. Much of the global EV market is already powered by LFP, but with mass adoption in diverse on-road applications such as electric buses and trucks, this battery chemistry promises to be the next big breakthrough. LFP has a lower energy density, is cheaper to manufacture, and is easier to produce than other lithium-ion and lead-acid battery types.
Warnings of lithium supply shortages threaten to cut global electric vehicle sales forecasts for 2030, but even this does not appear to be slowing the momentum for the use of LFP batteries in electric vehicles. The chemistry of LFP cells is still easier and cheaper to produce. Their efficient charging, lower cost of ownership, non-toxicity, long cycle life and excellent safety features make them the darling of future electric transportation
As a lifePO4 battery manufacturer, Pronewenergy provides customers with lifepo4 battery customization and production in various electric fields. For example: power batteries for electric cars, electric bicycles, electric tricycles, yachts, golf carts, tourist vehicles, RVs, etc.
