The goal is to eliminate both charging anxiety and environmental concerns. Now researchers have created the “recipe” to do it.

Imagine that you are travelling down one of Europe’s many superhighways with your new electric car. You’re moving along fast, and charging stations are few and far between. The memory of range anxiety kicks in, but then you realize that the car you are driving has a brand new electric car battery, developed precisely to be able to drive long distances and not have to charge often. And when you do have to stop, charging also takes much less time.

With this in mind, and the certainty that the new batteries are also more environmentally friendly, you relax into your seat and drive on with confidence.

The EU is investing in the production of new EV batteries that meet the needs of future electric car users for more sustainable, cheaper and more efficient batteries. The goal is that as many people as possible choose to buy and drive with sustainability in mind.

Nils Peter Wagner is a senior research scientist at SINTEF and is coordinating the work taking place in the EU project IntelLiGent. He says the researchers in the project have experimented with both advanced materials and components to improve the batteries.

“In many ways, you could say we’ve created a ‘recipe’ for future battery technology by choosing some of the best, cheapest and least environmentally harmful raw materials. We have plumbed every last detail of the battery cells,” says Wagner.

Superpowers and secret ingredients

Think of the battery as a sandwich: At the top we find a cathode. The cathode uses the IntelLiGent material LNMO, which stands for lithium-nickel-manganese oxide. The material is cobalt-free and contains less lithium and nickel than materials used in today’s batteries.

These are all materials that are defined as critical raw materials. The batteries using the researchers’ alternative components thus have a lower environmental footprint.

“The LNMO cathode material provides high average voltage, without fail. It also has high energy density, which means that it can create more energy in a smaller volume, so that the battery has a longer range, says Wagner.

However, one challenge has been that the material has had some “growing pains” that have resulted in a shorter lifespan. The researchers have improved this situation by developing a new generation of LNMO cathodes that provide better performance and capacity for the batteries, according to the researcher.

At the bottom of the battery we find the anode. The new batteries are made of a composite consisting of silicon and graphite. Silicon can absorb many more lithium ions, which provides more energy, while graphite provides strength and stability, so that the battery lasts longer.

Both silicon and graphite are critical raw materials. IntelLiGent’s silicon-graphite composite batteries are produced by Vianode in Norway, which can produce materials with both lower emissions and resource consumption.

“These energy-efficient, high-capacity anodes play a crucial role in improving battery performance. However, silicon anodes swell significantly during charging and discharging, and this can cause the material to break down. We have solved that problem by exploiting the stability of graphite, so that the batteries have the best possible durability and lifespan,” says Wagner.

The research team is also developing a “secret sauce”: a special electrolyte that protects the anode and cathode in the batteries. This makes them more stable and lasts longer.

“We recently completed development of the electrolyte and tested it in a first-generation prototype. Now we’ve put the spotlight on the second generation of prototype cells, which will provide higher energy density and use even larger cells. This will in turn give the batteries even better performance and efficiency,” says Wagner.

The project has also worked on the structure of the battery itself – in other words, how the electrodes are constructed and how the battery is assembled, which will increase both the energy density and charging capacity.

“One effect of higher energy density is that the battery can get too hot, so we need to ensure that the structure does not allow heat to build up inside the battery,” says the SINTEF researcher.

The binders and separators allow the batteries to protect and repair themselves, which in turn helps to extend their lifespan.

In order to hold the “sandwich” together, the researchers also use special binders and separators. These parts are not passive helpers, but active components that can repair minor damage along the way. While the binders help to maintain the electrode structure, the separators ensure that the electrodes are kept physically separated, thus preventing short circuits.

A virtual test track

To better understand the behaviour of the battery cells, the researchers use advanced analysis methods and modelling. This provides useful answers on how the design can be improved.

Using lightning-fast screening methods and modelling tools, they explore the possibilities, looking for the most environmentally friendly solutions including testing the batteries in a digital world. By using a software tool developed at SINTEF, the researchers can test how the batteries behave. In this way, they save time and gain confidence that the technology is working as it should.

The work happening at IntelLiGent occurs in collaboration with important players throughout the value chain, from manufacturers to suppliers and end users. The goal is to arrive at the best possible “battery recipe.”

How does the project move the new innovations out into the world and to you and me as consumers?

The project team has a detailed plan for how the technology can be brought to the market. They are now working on getting the production of electrodes up and running on a large scale, and optimizing production and test protocols. They will also produce a demo model to check that the batteries perform and are as safe and durable as they should be.

“We are assessing environmental, economic and social consequences and comparing the new technology with current solutions,” Wagner says.

According to the researchers, this EU project paves the way for a greener automotive future, with batteries that are more powerful, more efficient and less harmful to the planet.

“These batteries will enable you to drive your electric car farther without charging and you’ll be able to charge it faster. And as an individual, you’ll also be contributing to a smaller carbon footprint,” says the SINTEF researcher.