Five types of vehicle batteries and development trend analysis
One of the most important components of new energy electric vehicles is the battery, and one of the reasons hindering the development of new energy vehicles is the charging problem of the battery. Batteries are essential for the development of new energy electric vehicles.
What are the types of vehicle batteries? What is the performance and price of types of vehicle batteries? This article will give a comprehensive introduction to the current problems of types of vehicle batteries.
Table of Contents
Five types of vehicle batteries
The types of vehicle batteries include lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries and fuel cells.
Lead-acid batteries
As a relatively mature technology in types of vehicle batteries, lead-acid batteries are still the only batteries for electric vehicles that can be mass-produced because of their low cost and high-rate discharge.
During the Beijing Olympic Games, there were 20 electric vehicles using lead-acid batteries to provide transportation services for the Olympic Games. However, the specific energy, specific power and energy density of lead-acid batteries are very low, and it is impossible for electric vehicles using this as a power source to have good speed and cruising range.
Nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries
Although the performance is better than that of lead-acid batteries, it contains heavy metals, which will cause pollution to the environment after being used and discarded. In the types of vehicle batteries, nickel-metal hydride power battery has just entered the mature stage, and it is the only battery system that has been actually verified and commercialized and scaled up in the battery system used in hybrid electric vehicles.
99% of the existing hybrid battery market share is nickel-metal hydride power batteries. At present, the world’s major automotive power battery manufacturers mainly include Japan’s PEVE and Sanyo. PEVE occupies 85% of the global Ni-MH battery market share for Hybrid vehicles. The application of Chinese Ni-MH batteries in automobiles is still in the stage of research and development.
Lithium batteries
Traditional lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries in types of vehicle batteries are relatively mature in technology, but there are big problems when they are used as power batteries in automobiles. At present, more and more automobile manufacturers choose to use lithium batteries as power batteries for types of vehicle batteries. Because lithium-ion power batteries have the following advantages: high working voltage; large specific energy; small size; light weight; long cycle life; low self-discharge rate; no memory effect; no pollution, etc.
At present, the bottlenecks hindering the development of power lithium-ion batteries are: safety performance and the management system of automobile power batteries. In terms of safety performance, due to the high energy density, high working temperature, and harsh working environment of lithium-ion power batteries, coupled with the people-oriented safety concept, users have put forward very high requirements for battery safety.
In terms of the management system of the automobile power battery, since the working voltage of the automobile power battery is 12V or 24V, while the working voltage of a single power lithium-ion battery is 3.7V, it is necessary to increase the voltage by connecting multiple batteries in series.
However, since it is difficult for the battery to achieve completely uniform charge and discharge, the single battery in multiple battery packs connected in series will have an unbalanced charge and discharge state, and the battery will appear undercharged and overdischarged. This situation will lead to a sharp deterioration of battery performance, and eventually cause the entire battery pack to fail to work normally, or even be scrapped, thereby greatly affecting the service life and reliability of the battery.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries
Lithium iron phosphate battery is also a kind of lithium battery. Its specific energy is less than half of that of lithium cobalt oxide battery, but it has high safety, the number of cycles can reach 2000 times, stable discharge, and low price. It has become a new choice for the types of vehicle batteries.
Fuel cells
Simply put, a fuel cell is a power generating device that directly converts the chemical energy present in fuel and oxidant into electrical energy. The most promising for use in automobiles is the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Its working principle is: send hydrogen to the anode, and through the action of the catalyst, two electrons in the hydrogen atom are separated.
The two electrons are attracted by the cathode to generate current through an external circuit, and the hydrogen ions that have lost electrons can pass through the proton exchange membrane and recombine with oxygen atoms and electrons at the cathode to form water. Since oxygen can be obtained from the air, as long as hydrogen is continuously supplied to the anode and water is taken away in time, the fuel cell can continuously provide electrical energy.
Because the fuel cell directly converts the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy without the combustion process in the middle, it is not limited by the Carnot cycle. At present, among the types of vehicle batteries, the fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the fuel cell system is 45% to 60%, while the efficiency of thermal power generation and nuclear power is about 30% to 40%.
Development trend of new energy vehicle batteries
In the development of new energy vehicles, nickel metal hydride battery technology is the most mature, and will remain the mainstream of the types of vehicle batteries in the next three years. After that, nickel-metal hydride battery technology will compete with lithium iron phosphate and hydrogen fuel cells, and will gradually be replaced by lithium batteries and fuel cells in five years.
In terms of price trends, the current price of fast-charging lithium-ion power batteries for types of vehicle batteries is around $1600/kwh, and the price of ordinary lithium-ion power batteries is around $500/kwh. According to the current price trend of gasoline and electricity in the United States, the cost of using a fast-charge lithium-ion power battery electric vehicle with a 100km battery life is 25% higher than that of a gasoline internal combustion engine vehicle with comparable performance during the entire service life of the vehicle.
Once the price of power batteries for electric vehicles drops to $200-300/kwh, the cost of using electric vehicles will be comparable to that of traditional vehicles. According to forecasts, with the encouragement of relevant policies in various countries, the global demand for lithium ions for electric vehicles will approach 50Gwh in 2020, the cost of fast charging batteries is expected to drop to $400-500/kwh in 2020, and the price of ordinary power batteries can drop to $200-300/kwh
New energy vehicles choose ternary lithium batteries or lithium iron phosphate batteries
For new energy vehicles, the core is the battery, which accounts for 40% to 60% of the cost of the vehicle. At present, there are many types of vehicle batteries, and the most important technical routes are the ternary lithium battery route and the lithium iron phosphate battery route. As a consumer, how should you choose? Batteries not only affect the battery life of new energy vehicles, but also directly affect many performances. Among them, consumers are most concerned about safety, battery life and charging.
Safety is the basic premise of any other activity. In this regard, compared lfp vs nmc, lithium iron phosphate batteries have obvious advantages. When the temperature reaches 180°C, the cathode of the ternary material battery begins to decompose and generate a large amount of oxygen, which will chemically react with the solvent inside the battery, and then generate a large amount of heat to form a chain reaction. However, because the lithium iron phosphate battery car can withstand a temperature of 800°C at the positive electrode, the fire conditions are relatively harsh and relatively long, leaving plenty of time for the owner to escape.
In terms of battery life, there is no doubt that the ternary lithium battery with higher energy density has more advantages. But for new energy vehicles, the cruising range is sufficient according to their own usage scenarios. Otherwise, too much power and an overweight battery will only increase the purchase cost and power consumption of the car, and the cost performance is extremely low. The core is to quickly replenish power.
As far as the chemical characteristics of the battery itself are concerned, the charging of the ternary lithium battery is faster because its voltage is higher and it has greater charging power at the same current. Lithium iron phosphate batteries can make up for this shortcoming through technology. The vehicle voltage of ternary lithium battery vehicles is very high, but if the voltage of the charging pile is low, its charging power will not be able to increase.
Peach
Hi Dear readers, I confidently introduce myself as an author with a fervent passion for writing and substantial experience in the battery swapping industry. My educational background includes a bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering, and I have previously served as a battery engineer at a renowned power battery company, actively participating in and leading various motorcycle swapping station projects, from design to operational implementation.
Over the years, I have actively explored and extensively researched swapping technologies, business models, and market trends. Through practical experience, I have accumulated valuable insights, actively contributing to various aspects of station planning, equipment selection, and operational management.
I am eagerly looking forward to sharing my insights and experiences in the battery swapping domain. I believe that my writing will assist you in gaining a better understanding of this rapidly evolving industry and provide valuable insights for your decision-making. Let's embark on an exciting journey to explore the world of battery swapping together!
Five types of vehicle batteries and development trend analysis
One of the most important components of new energy electric vehicles is the battery, and one of the reasons hindering the development of new energy vehicles is the charging problem of the battery. Batteries are essential for the development of new energy electric vehicles.
What are the types of vehicle batteries? What is the performance and price of types of vehicle batteries? This article will give a comprehensive introduction to the current problems of types of vehicle batteries.
Five types of vehicle batteries
The types of vehicle batteries include lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries and fuel cells.
Lead-acid batteries
As a relatively mature technology in types of vehicle batteries, lead-acid batteries are still the only batteries for electric vehicles that can be mass-produced because of their low cost and high-rate discharge.
During the Beijing Olympic Games, there were 20 electric vehicles using lead-acid batteries to provide transportation services for the Olympic Games. However, the specific energy, specific power and energy density of lead-acid batteries are very low, and it is impossible for electric vehicles using this as a power source to have good speed and cruising range.
Nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries
Although the performance is better than that of lead-acid batteries, it contains heavy metals, which will cause pollution to the environment after being used and discarded. In the types of vehicle batteries, nickel-metal hydride power battery has just entered the mature stage, and it is the only battery system that has been actually verified and commercialized and scaled up in the battery system used in hybrid electric vehicles.
99% of the existing hybrid battery market share is nickel-metal hydride power batteries. At present, the world’s major automotive power battery manufacturers mainly include Japan’s PEVE and Sanyo. PEVE occupies 85% of the global Ni-MH battery market share for Hybrid vehicles. The application of Chinese Ni-MH batteries in automobiles is still in the stage of research and development.
Lithium batteries
Traditional lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries in types of vehicle batteries are relatively mature in technology, but there are big problems when they are used as power batteries in automobiles. At present, more and more automobile manufacturers choose to use lithium batteries as power batteries for types of vehicle batteries. Because lithium-ion power batteries have the following advantages: high working voltage; large specific energy; small size; light weight; long cycle life; low self-discharge rate; no memory effect; no pollution, etc.
At present, the bottlenecks hindering the development of power lithium-ion batteries are: safety performance and the management system of automobile power batteries. In terms of safety performance, due to the high energy density, high working temperature, and harsh working environment of lithium-ion power batteries, coupled with the people-oriented safety concept, users have put forward very high requirements for battery safety.
In terms of the management system of the automobile power battery, since the working voltage of the automobile power battery is 12V or 24V, while the working voltage of a single power lithium-ion battery is 3.7V, it is necessary to increase the voltage by connecting multiple batteries in series.
However, since it is difficult for the battery to achieve completely uniform charge and discharge, the single battery in multiple battery packs connected in series will have an unbalanced charge and discharge state, and the battery will appear undercharged and overdischarged. This situation will lead to a sharp deterioration of battery performance, and eventually cause the entire battery pack to fail to work normally, or even be scrapped, thereby greatly affecting the service life and reliability of the battery.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries
Lithium iron phosphate battery is also a kind of lithium battery. Its specific energy is less than half of that of lithium cobalt oxide battery, but it has high safety, the number of cycles can reach 2000 times, stable discharge, and low price. It has become a new choice for the types of vehicle batteries.
Fuel cells
Simply put, a fuel cell is a power generating device that directly converts the chemical energy present in fuel and oxidant into electrical energy. The most promising for use in automobiles is the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Its working principle is: send hydrogen to the anode, and through the action of the catalyst, two electrons in the hydrogen atom are separated.
The two electrons are attracted by the cathode to generate current through an external circuit, and the hydrogen ions that have lost electrons can pass through the proton exchange membrane and recombine with oxygen atoms and electrons at the cathode to form water. Since oxygen can be obtained from the air, as long as hydrogen is continuously supplied to the anode and water is taken away in time, the fuel cell can continuously provide electrical energy.
Because the fuel cell directly converts the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy without the combustion process in the middle, it is not limited by the Carnot cycle. At present, among the types of vehicle batteries, the fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the fuel cell system is 45% to 60%, while the efficiency of thermal power generation and nuclear power is about 30% to 40%.
Development trend of new energy vehicle batteries
In the development of new energy vehicles, nickel metal hydride battery technology is the most mature, and will remain the mainstream of the types of vehicle batteries in the next three years. After that, nickel-metal hydride battery technology will compete with lithium iron phosphate and hydrogen fuel cells, and will gradually be replaced by lithium batteries and fuel cells in five years.
In terms of price trends, the current price of fast-charging lithium-ion power batteries for types of vehicle batteries is around $1600/kwh, and the price of ordinary lithium-ion power batteries is around $500/kwh. According to the current price trend of gasoline and electricity in the United States, the cost of using a fast-charge lithium-ion power battery electric vehicle with a 100km battery life is 25% higher than that of a gasoline internal combustion engine vehicle with comparable performance during the entire service life of the vehicle.
Once the price of power batteries for electric vehicles drops to $200-300/kwh, the cost of using electric vehicles will be comparable to that of traditional vehicles. According to forecasts, with the encouragement of relevant policies in various countries, the global demand for lithium ions for electric vehicles will approach 50Gwh in 2020, the cost of fast charging batteries is expected to drop to $400-500/kwh in 2020, and the price of ordinary power batteries can drop to $200-300/kwh
New energy vehicles choose ternary lithium batteries or lithium iron phosphate batteries
For new energy vehicles, the core is the battery, which accounts for 40% to 60% of the cost of the vehicle. At present, there are many types of vehicle batteries, and the most important technical routes are the ternary lithium battery route and the lithium iron phosphate battery route. As a consumer, how should you choose? Batteries not only affect the battery life of new energy vehicles, but also directly affect many performances. Among them, consumers are most concerned about safety, battery life and charging.
Safety is the basic premise of any other activity. In this regard, compared lfp vs nmc, lithium iron phosphate batteries have obvious advantages. When the temperature reaches 180°C, the cathode of the ternary material battery begins to decompose and generate a large amount of oxygen, which will chemically react with the solvent inside the battery, and then generate a large amount of heat to form a chain reaction. However, because the lithium iron phosphate battery car can withstand a temperature of 800°C at the positive electrode, the fire conditions are relatively harsh and relatively long, leaving plenty of time for the owner to escape.
In terms of battery life, there is no doubt that the ternary lithium battery with higher energy density has more advantages. But for new energy vehicles, the cruising range is sufficient according to their own usage scenarios. Otherwise, too much power and an overweight battery will only increase the purchase cost and power consumption of the car, and the cost performance is extremely low. The core is to quickly replenish power.
As far as the chemical characteristics of the battery itself are concerned, the charging of the ternary lithium battery is faster because its voltage is higher and it has greater charging power at the same current. Lithium iron phosphate batteries can make up for this shortcoming through technology. The vehicle voltage of ternary lithium battery vehicles is very high, but if the voltage of the charging pile is low, its charging power will not be able to increase.
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