What the Future Holds for EV Batteries

From the April 2022 issue of Car and Driver.Every battery maker is working to improve energy density (the amount of electricity stored in their batteries). But until there is a dramatic breakthrough, the vast majority of the EVs coming to market in the next five years, and perhaps through 2030, will be powered by variations on the two types of lithium-ion cells already for sale.The first kind uses cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum in its cathode, or positive electrode. The proportions of each element vary, with the goal of reducing the amount of pricey, high-demand cobalt while continuing to boost energy density and power output. GM’s new Ultium NMCA cells, for example, use 70 percent less cobalt, increasing the proportion of nickel and aluminum.The second cell type for EVs of the 2020s will use lithium iron-phosphate (LiFP) cathodes. Long a favorite of Chinese battery…

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