Anatomising the Future of Battery Technology

Robust cables are indispensable to make the batteries of tomorrow

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From powering mobile phones, consumer electronics and electric cars, to ensuring system stability and reliability during power fluctuations, batteries big and small play a key role in industry and everyday life.

Have you ever wondered about the different technologies behind these batteries?

Dominating the battery technology markets due to their lower weight, attractive raw material costs and superior energy density, Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) had since overtaken lead-acid batteries in the electric vehicle (EV) segment, and are being designed into the containerised energy storage systems (ESS).

New Alternatives On the Rise

High-performance battery materials are needed to meet the different customer requirements. Driving the shift in energy storage, alternative battery chemistries are fast emerging. Despite the mass use of lithium batteries in many applications, due to its existing properties, this battery technology has yet to reach an acceptable level for the batteries used in energy storage for grid-scale connections. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) which boast greater scalability, longer battery life and simpler maintenance is one such go-to technology.

Capable of reaching at least 200 watt-hour (Wh/kg) in the near future, Sodium-ion (SIBs) technology are primed to enter the fast-growing EV segment. Also shaking up the battery game are Solid-state Batteries which use solid electrolytes and promise improved safety – mass production and commercialisation looks to materialise as early as 2027, from joint in-house efforts of Toyota & Idemitsu¹.

“Batteries of The Future”:
Winning the Race to Market

Just imagine if car batteries suffer failures while on a highway. To play a vital role in becoming the battery of the future, these battery properties have to be considered:

Safety

EU regulations such as Battery Directive 2013/56/EU enable safe, ready removal of any batteries. From the development of SIBs and solid-state batteries, fire risks have also been reduced to a bare minimum, or zero in some instances.

LIFESPAN

LIB’s lifespan is limited to about 2-3 years or 300-500 charging cycles, whichever comes first. A solid-state battery, in comparison, has a potential lifespan of 10 years.

Material prices

Benchmarked against the average price of state-of-the-art LIBs which fall between EUR 90-175/kWh², cost levels must run even lower to remain competitive for the markets. Raw materials that come in abundance, and are non-toxic will provide cost-effective solutions.

Energy density

Solid-state batteries have a higher energy density than the LIBs, allowing more energy to be stored within the same battery size — thus translating into longer driving distances with EVs or longer lasting battery on a mobile device.

LAPP Empowers the Battery Manufacturing Process

Regardless of battery chemistries, all facilities will need the right supporting equipment in place to meet growth opportunities and battery manufacturing trends head-on for an automation-driven future.

An essential part of the infrastructure ensuring the right connectivity, cables offer behind-the-scenes support, to power new manufacturing technologies in the battery segment. Take a look at different products our machine-making or equipment building customers are adopting to tackle the new era of battery manufacturing: