Lithium News

Elcora is a vertically integrated company that mines, processes, refines, and adds value to graphite. Elcora converts graphite into graphene and anode powder to develop electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Graphene

Elcora has developed a process to convert graphite to graphene with a very high yield. Furthermore, Elcora’s graphene was ranked number one in the world in tests completed by the NUS center for advanced 2D materials see: https://www.elcoracorp.com/investors/jan-14-2016-elcora-graphene-ranks-number-one-in-test-results-completed-by-nus-centre-for-advanced-2d-materials/).

According to the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), many ‘graphene’ companies produce powder with a graphene content of only 2-10%. The same study showed that graphene powder provided by Elcora Advanced Materials had a graphene content of 55% (see Fig. 1). Elcora’s graphene production process is low-cost and commercially scalable.

Applications

Graphene coatings can be hydrophobic, electronically conductive, and/or chemically resistant. Elcora anticipates that hydrophobic graphene coatings will find applications where water-repellent surfaces are required, such as ship hulls, pot/pan liners, glass surfaces (mirrors, windows, windshields) and textiles. Conductive graphene coatings will find use in cell phones, tablets, computers, television screens, and other displays. Graphene coatings can also serve as protective coatings with superior chemical, moisture, corrosion, UV, and fire-resistance properties.

Elcora is in a unique position to produce graphene due to its vertical integration model. Elcora has a graphene R&D facility located in Canada that is dedicated to commercial graphene production (see Fig. 2) and use.

Anode powder for Lithium-ion batteries:

Most Lithium-ion batteries use graphite as the anode. The graphite power must meet strict conditions. For example:
1) Surface area: 0.5-10 m2/g (as measured
by BET)
2) Particle size: 1-30 μm (typically D50 ~ 23 μm)
3) Purity: > 99.995%
4) Capacity: > 350 mAh/g at C/20 (where C represents the total capacity of the electrode and time is 20 hours; see Fig. 3)
5) Spherical shape (e.g. flake powder processed using a spheroniser and jet mill; see Fig. 4)
6) Carbon coating (sometimes optional)
7) Tap density > 0.9 g/cm3
8) Electrode calendered density > 1.5 g/cm3.

Recently, Elcora partnered with a commercial manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries to test its graphite anode powder. The commercial manufacturers ‘standard’ natural graphite anode powder was swapped for Elcora’s natural graphite anode powder. 3.1 Ah 18650 cells were made from both graphite anode powders with every other variable being the same (e.g. cell design, loading, cathode, electrolyte, separator, etc.). The 18650’s were then tested under different C-rates and the capacity retention compared. Cycling tests were performed at the commercial manufacturer’s facility to ensure no bias from Elcora. Testing showed that Elcora’s graphite is as good as, if not better than, the commercial manufacturer’s ‘standard’ natural graphite. As an example, Fig. 5 shows capacity vs. cycle numbers for two 18650 cells made by the commercial manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. Orange symbols are from a cell made using Elcora’s natural graphite. Blue symbols are from a cell made using ‘standard’ natural graphite. Furthermore, Elcora’s graphite passed all safety tests performed (e.g. hotbox at 130°C and 2C 15 V overcharge).

These tests show that Elcora’s graphite is of commercial quality and ready for implementation in large scale battery manufacturing.

In addition to natural graphite anode powder, Elcora is also developing high-rate, high capacity electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.

High-power strategy

Current state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries use carbon black as a conductivity promoter. Carbon black has high conductivity which reduces the overall resistance in the battery. Low resistance means current can flow easier, which equates to high power. Carbon black will be replaced and/or supplemented with Elcora’s highly conductivity graphene. A graphene-infused battery should reduce electrode resistance, resulting in higher power.

High-capacity strategy

Current state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries use graphite as the active material in the anode. Graphite has a theoretical gravimetric lithiation capacity of 372 mAh/g. Silicon is widely studied as an alternative to graphite. Silicon has a theoretical lithiation capacity of 3579 mAh/g; almost 10 times the gravimetric capacity of graphite. Pure silicon electrodes have proven to be commercially non-viable due to the large expansion after full lithiation (> 270%). The large expansion causes particles to become electronically isolated, resulting in capacity fade. Electrical conductivity of the electrode will be enhanced by using graphene as a conductivity promoter instead of carbon black (as above). Also, a silicon ‘sprinkling’ strategy will be employed, where the active electrode component is 70-99% graphite, with 1-30% silicon. This will result in electrodes with higher capacity. Furthermore, the electrodes will be cost-competitive, commercially viable, and will not lose appreciable capacity over time. Companies like Tesla and Panasonic are pursuing a similar strategy.

Graphene-infused Li-ion battery electrodes

Elcora is in a unique position to study graphene-infused Li-ion battery electrodes. Elcora is a producer of both graphene and Li-ion battery anode powder. Graphene is notoriously difficult to work with due to its relatively short shelf-life (weeks). Graphene has a short shelf-life because it is a meta-stable material. That is, graphene has a tendency to agglomerate and self-assemble back to graphite. As such, graphene should be used immediately after production. This is rarely accomplished, since most graphene producers don’t make Li-ion electrodes, and most battery electrode manufacturers don’t make graphene. Furthermore, after graphene is made, it usually takes weeks or even months before it is qualified and shipped to a customer. By that time, the graphene has degraded. Thus, when used in an electrode formulation, graphene does not give the expected benefits.

This gives Elcora a significant advantage over competitors. Elcora can use its proprietary process to make high quality graphene on-demand, which is then immediately used in electrode slurries. Hence, the graphene will retain the desired properties (e.g. high conductivity, high capacity, high power electrodes).

Specific benefits of a graphene-silicon composite electrode

All lithium-ion battery manufacturers are trying to increase energy density. More energy density means longer drive time and fewer ‘fill-ups’ for electric vehicles. Similarly, higher energy density could decrease the number of batteries needed to go a certain distance, making an electric vehicle lighter and less expensive.

Most Li-ion batteries use graphite as the active component in the anode (negative side). The theoretical capacity of graphite alloying with lithium is 372 mAh/g (i.e. LiC6). Commercial electrodes can achieve ~ 350 mAh/g reversible capacity, which is considered the practical limit. Silicon is often studied as a replacement to graphite due to its high theoretical capacity (3579 mAh/g).

However, when silicon alloys with lithium it forms Li15Si4, which results in a volume increase of > 270%. Similarly, the silicon particles shrink by the same amount when lithium is removed (i.e. the cell is discharged). This ‘heavy breathing’ causes the silicon particles to crack and pulverise when cycled. For this reason, pure silicon electrodes have not been commercialised for use in Li-ion batteries.

Instead of studying pure silicon electrodes, most battery manufacturers use a ‘sprinkling’ strategy, where small amounts of silicon are added to a graphite electrode. This make sense financially because battery manufacturers can use existing hardware and formulations which are wide-spread and well-understood. The extra silicon increases capacity, which increases energy density. The volume change of the electrode is minimised, because only a small amount of silicon is sprinkled into the graphite electrode (e.g. 90% graphite, 10% silicon).

Graphene is one of the strongest, and most conductive substances currently known. Graphene will be added to the graphite-silicon anode mixture to increase conductivity, and increase electrode stability. The increased conductivity will allow Li-ion batteries to be charged/discharged at a faster rate. This means that batteries will be able to be charged in a shorter amount of time. This is important as society moves towards electrified mobility (e.g. electric cars like the Tesla model S).

Society is accustomed to ‘filling-up’ in a matter of minutes, then driving away to continue their day. At the moment, electric cars take much longer to ‘fill-up’. Even the best super chargers take 30 minutes to achieve 80% capacity. A graphene-infused electrode would increase electrical conductivity, thus decreasing resistance, and decreasing charge time.
Graphene’s strength will contribute to making a more robust electrode, which is especially important when adding silicon to the graphite anode. The high strength of graphene will help hold the electrode together while it is de/lithiated (i.e. dis/charged).

Previous research has shown that silicon particles lose electrical contact with the rest of the electrode during cycling. Graphene will be added to provide a strong scaffolding to ensure the silicon electrodes remain in electric contact during the de/alloying process.
Hence, graphene will both increase conductivity, while increasing electrode stability. Similarly, the addition of silicon will increase energy density. The result will be a Li-ion battery with higher-energy density (it will last longer) and higher conductivity (it will charge faster).

Some two million new vehicles were registered last year in Africa, which is a low number for a continent made of almost two billion people. The vehicle ownership rate is half of what it is in India, and several times less than in more mature markets, making it the most underdeveloped automotive market in the world.

Add that to the accelerated demographic growth and the potential is immense, especially considering that three markets (South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt) own 70% of that overall market.

Countries with highest potential:

Kenya — With a locally developed automotive brand, the Mobius off-roader, and with several automakers (including Peugeot and Volkswagen) investing in the country, expect fast growth in coming years, with 300,000 units a year possible by 2030. This being a tech-friendly country, this could be one of the countries with higher EV uptake in Africa as well.

Nigeria — In a country of 183 million people, the new car market is just 53,900 units … per year. So, by 2030, considering the economic and demographic growth (the country is expected to have 274 million people by then), expect these numbers to surge to some 600,000 units, which would make it one of the fastest growing markets worldwide.

South Africa — Home to a 700,000 unit/year automotive market, and with an industry of over one million units per year, one can consider South Africa the only mature market on the continent. So, while the growth rate until 2030 shouldn’t be impressive, the fact is that the current volume will almost certainly continue to make it the largest car market in Africa, with over 1 million units per year.

Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) — While geographically part of Africa, these countries are influenced by cultural and economic ties to Europe, and that is particularly visible in Morocco, which is a low-cost assembly hub for the Renault Group (and maybe home of the euro-spec Kwid EV), with Peugeot’s PSA said to be following it soon. So, expect low-cost EVs of French origin to thrive here. In 2030, the total car market of these three countries is said to reach some 1.5 million units.

Egypt — With an established auto industry and the population set to reach some 133 million people by 2030, expect the local auto market to surpass 1 million units by then, rivaling South Africa for the position of largest automotive market on the continent.

And what about EVs?

In a continent where low-cost laptops and smartphones are king, rugged low-cost EVs, like the future Renault Kwid EV, are sure to succeed, as will no-frills electric pickup trucks and proper off-roaders, like the Suzuki Jimny.

And who majors in low-cost EVs? Yep, China. Their manufacturers already have two-digit shares in many African countries, and as the customer base is already being formed around gasoline/diesel models, once buyers switch to electric cars, the Chinese automakers will be well placed to catch that low hanging fruit. With the exception of the upcoming Renault Kwid EV, no other legacy automaker has a competitive low-cost EV in the pipeline to run with the BAIC EC-Series and competitors that will likely be exported/CKD’d from China.

In fact, BAIC has already begun to position itself, having launched manufacturing and assembly plants in South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively. Initial gasoline/diesel models currently in those markets are the BAIC D20, the X25 CUV, and the BAIC Grand Tiger Pickup. This will give them a nice entry point into the African market and allow them to quickly switch to EVs in the near future.

Another Chinese model being assembled in partnership with local distributers is the Chery QQ, which could be a good precursor to the related Chery EQ in the African market.

Add the fact that Chinese companies are building infrastructure (roads, dams, bridges, etc.) across Africa, and you have the right environment for a friendly uptake of Chinese EVs on the continent.

But will EVs take off in Africa fast, or will it be the final destination of many old gasoline/diesel vehicles coming from Europe and other mature markets?

I guess it will be a bit of both.

Fuel supply is a big issue, so the funny thing is that drivers with gasoline/diesel vehicles can experience range anxiety in many of these countries, as queuing for fuel and fuel shortages is a regular event.

Also, the establishment of microgrids based on solar provides a big opportunity for decentralized charging infrastructure and the introduction of electrified public transport is a big opportunity. On the other hand, the lack of government support is an issue that holds back further development.

The Leapfrog Factor — One of the few advantages of being late to a certain technology is that you can leapfrog certain stages and start in the middle of the newest trend, without being sandbagged by the affiliation of older technologies. This was the case in Africa with communications — landline networks were fast abandoned (not even implemented in many places) and populations there quickly benefited from the newer, better mobile networks.

The same can happen with mobility. Because in most African countries there is no significant “gas car culture,” people will be more open to switch to electric cars and new forms of mobility (carsharing, etc.), so my guess is that once the Chinese EV industry is ready to export in large volumes (2022? 2023?), Africa will be one of the first stops of its expansion plan, thus kickstarting the EV revolution in most countries around the continent.

Today

But this is in the long run, for 2025, or 2030. What about now — are there EVs being sold in Africa?

Well, there’s not a lot to mention, but nevertheless, we have some numbers to report:

South Africa — Electric cars landed in 2014 with the Nissan Leaf. BMW arrived one year later, introducing its i3 & i8 models. While the Leaf hasn’t really caught on, delivering 43 units in its best year (2014), both of BMW’s i models have been delivered in relatively significant volumes, with the total figure now being some 600 units. Overall, share wise, EV adoption in the country is barely noticeable (0.03%). It was enough, however, to encourage Mercedes and Porsche to start delivering a limited number of their PHEVs in the country this year.

A third fully electric model will finally find its way to South Africa in Q1 2019. Jaguar will launch the I-PACE in this market, and Jaguar has also invested $2 million in the electric Powerway, a future public charging network of 82 charging stations that will also cover South Africa’s major highways, such as the busy Johannesburg–Durban and Johannesburg–Cape town routes. The charging network is co-developed with a South African EV charging service provider, Grid Cars.

Regarding the existing charging network, all the BMW service centers have charging stations and one or two of the large shopping centers have EV facilities.

Regarding fiscal policies, in South Africa, EVs carry a 25% luxury tax, making adoption a challenge, but there are talks of lowering it to 17%.

In a way, this market reminds me of Australia, where EV adoption is coming from the top down — big, powerful EVs, like the ones of Tesla and Jaguar, are needed to change mindsets and break the mold, allowing a more EV-friendly environment.

An interesting side note is that the new head of Volkswagen in South Africa was responsible for implementing VW’s first EV plant in Germany. So, although no official comment has been made regarding EVs, one can only hope that in the future Volkswagen will be open minded on this topic. At least Audi is now advertising the e-tron in South Africa, which could mean it is aiming to launch it sometime next year.

So, Tesla and Volkswagen (and Audi and Mercedes) need to land their electric models in South Africa, for the local EV market to finally gain some traction. Will 2019 be the first year that the market hits 600 units/year?

Morocco — Talking of EVs here is basically talking about Renault, which made its quirky Twizy quadricycle available in 2014. The small EV has scored some 100 sales since then. The subcompact Zoe became available in 2017, with some 20 units being registered by now. Yes, 20, not 200 or 2,000.

With the Renault Tangier factory among the favorites to make the upcoming euro-spec Kwid EV, expect the local market to open up to EVs when (well, if) that model hits the road. Maybe in 2020?

Kenya — A common theme in Africa: while new EVs are still a rarity, second-hand EVs are starting to appear here and there, and one of the best examples is Kenya. Since 2016, when the first used EVs arrived, close to 100 units have been imported, mostly Nissan Leafs.

A ride-hailing service in Nairobi has been piloting an all-electric fleet (Nissan Leafs) and has announced plans to grow the fleet to 50 by end of 2018 and 200 by 2020.

With 77% of its energy coming from renewables, it’s really a no brainer that Kenya is among the most enthusiastic countries regarding electromobility in Africa, so expect demand to continue growing, even if based on the second-hand market.

Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe remains a small vehicle market, with annual new gas/diesel sales of under 5,000. In a market dominated by used gas/diesel models (about 70,000 registered per year), a few used Nissan Leafs are now on roads of Harare, sourced from Japan. A Tesla Model X was also registered as recent as last month. As more and more used EVs come onto the market from the traditional source markets of Japan, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, we should start to see more used EVs on the roads. Already, new Chinese electric motorbikes are on sale in downtown Harare, with a distributer opening up shop in Zimbabwe earlier this year. So, if successful, electric cars could be the next logical step.

Madagascar — While this seems one of the most unexpected places to have an EV scene, the fact is that it exists. It started in 2015 with the arrival of two Chinese EVs, the BAIC EV-Series and the BYD Qin PHEV, and was followed last year with the installation of charging infrastructure at Total gas stations. This year, two electric buses landed too. The total number of plug-ins in the country is said to be at over 40 units.

Federal electric car tax credits might disappear (if just due to strong sales), but that isn’t preventing individual states from stepping up. New York has unveiled a string of programs that it hopes will incentivize EV purchases in the state. In addition to an existing Drive Clean Rebate knocking as much as $2,000 off EV purchases, the state is deploying as many as 200 150kW fast chargers in “more than two dozen” locations around major traffic corridors, JFK International Airport and five large cities outside of NYC (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers). In theory, you can buy an EV knowing you’ll always have enough battery life for an upstate jaunt.

The ultimate aim is to install “at least” 10,000 chargers of all types by the end of 2021. The state’s Power Authority has already pinpointed 32 locations, in fact. However, fast chargers may be relatively scarce. The initiative aims for four fast EV chargers per location at intervals under 75 miles apart. JFK’s quick-charge hub will offer just 10 stations, which suggests you could be waiting a while on a busy day.

New York’s Public Service Commission, meanwhile, is relying on time-of-use rates to ensure EV owners aren’t paying more than standard rates to charge their cars when they top up outside of peak hours. This should save drivers money, the state said, but it should also help power companies by reducing the load during busy hours and making the most of the electrical grid.

It’s not certain these incentives will spur EV adoption in New York. However, they’re not the only motivating factors for residents. This won’t be the sole fast-charging network in the state (Tesla by itself has an extensive Supercharger array), and the costs of EVs could drop as technology and economies of scale make them more practical. Even if the programs aren’t enough by themselves, they could play a deciding role for people who were already thinking of going electric.

Spain is drafting ambitious plans to switch its energy matrix to renewable sources and ban fossil fuel vehicles by 2040, according to a climate change law unveiled by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last week.

But some argue the initiative, which follows the lead of other European Union governments, may be too ambitious for a country whose car industry is ill-prepared for such a dramatic transformation.

Spain lags far behind other European nations in electric vehicle market share, with electric accounting for 0.22 percent of its market compared with about 2 percent in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

​Ill-timed measure

The measure could also be politically ill-timed, coinciding with mass protests in neighboring France that present a significant challenge to the year-old government of President Emmanuel Macron.

The protests in France are drawing right-leaning populists following a 6 percent increase in fuel taxes meant to discourage the use of diesel and gasoline. Hundreds were wounded and at least two people have killed in the past week during disturbances that progressive governments across Europe are nervously watching as they put their own green policies into effect.

Environmental concerns

The fervor to address global warming concerns and protect the environment spread vigorously to Spain. Sanchez, a leftist who took office this year, affirmed his commitment to fight climate change when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Spain’s secretary of state for the environment, Hugo Moran, said this month the administration plans to work with municipal governments to facilitate “a transition towards emission-free mobility.”

“The country is facing a great challenge,” Moran said. “If we are not able to arrive on time we will miss the train.”

Auto industry concerns

But opponents, including Spanish automakers and labor unions, warn that forcing the elimination of fossil fuels could cause major social upheaval, large-scale unemployment and serious disruptions to the country’s rapidly growing automotive industry. Over the past decade Spain has grown into Europe’s second largest auto producer after Germany, and the sector accounts for nearly 10 percent of the country’s GDP.

A spokesman for Spain’s most powerful labor federation, the Workers’ Commissions, accused the government of mounting what its leaders say is an “inquisition” against fossil fuel vehicles.

All EU members have subscribed to the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change by which almost every nation in the world committed to reduce carbon emissions.

The U.S pulled out of the agreement under President Donald Trump, who decried what he said is its potentially negative impact on the American economy.

Major investment

European Union governments responded by working to enshrine the agreement in their laws, but the conversion is proving to be a challenge among member states that are less prepared in terms of economy and infrastructure.

Britain, France and Germany have each budgeted more than $1.1 billion to subsidize programs such as buybacks of fossil fuel vehicles, and invested in new infrastructure, including electric charging stations, and converting auto assembly plants.

The Spanish government has so far earmarked less than $86 million.

Under Sanchez, Spain this year established a new Ministry for Ecological Transition. Officials told reporters they are working to define a new system of tax incentives. The government, the officials said, eventually plans to devote 20 percent of the national budget to battle climate change.

Mario Armero, executive vice president of ANFAC, Spain’s largest association of car manufacturers, said in a television interview the government’s draft proposal this month came as a “surprise.” Spain, he said, is not prepared to provide the level of aid the auto industry would require to move away from fossil fuels.

Of the 31.6 million vehicles registered in Spain, fewer than 4,000 are electric, according to government statistics. Of the 2.8 million vehicles produced in the country last year, barely 0.33 percent had electric engines despite government efforts under way to promote their production.

Jobs on the line

According to ANFAC, 9 percent of Spain’s active labor force depends directly or indirectly on the auto industry, and switching to electrical cars could result in major layoffs, as their manufacture is less labor intensive and requires fewer parts.

Even medium-term goals of expanding the quota of electrical vehicles to 25 percent of the total produced could involve an 11 percent reduction in auto jobs, association officials say.

Unlike Germany or France, Spain’s car industry largely depends on foreign investors, including the U.S.-based Ford Motor Co., which shows few signs of moving to electric cars, according to industry analysts.

The new minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, hopes to attract private sector support for the green initiatives.

“Our proposal sends clear and predictable signals to investors and financial agents on the model of decarbonized development where Spain is headed,” she said earlier this month.

Market analysts see signs of growing interest among private investors in the acquisition of Spain’s renewable energy assets.

But Lloyd Schultz, an American investment banker in Spain with Syntaxis Capital Límited, says that real growth in renewables is best achieved gradually through market incentives.

“Doing it by fiat risks generating a bubble”, he said.

Sono Motors, a Germany-based EV startup behind the Sion, a solar-powered electric car, has announced progress in developments of their powertrain and they say that it led to a significant increase in the price of the car.

The Sion is equipped with both a battery pack, which can be charged like a regular electric car, and also a system of integrated solar cells that can charge the vehicle – albeit slower.

Adding solar to electric vehicles has so far been mostly superficial, but Sono claims that it adds up to 30 km per day.

The vehicle is a fairly small urban car and a big part of the appeal, along with the solar aspect, was the price.

Sono said that it would start €16,000 (~$18,000 USD), but buyers would have to pay an additional fee to acquire the battery pack or pay a monthly fee – similar to the scheme used by Renault with the Zoe in France.

This week, they said that they are working with ElringKlinger on the pack and they settled on a 35 kWh battery pack:

“It is now clear that the Sion’s battery will have a capacity of 35 kWh. We have opted for a battery technology that is based on 51Ah-PHEV-II cells, which is particularly future-oriented and features by far the highest energy density available on the market to date.”

At first, the company said that the battery pack would be around “around €4,000,” but it now expects the price of the battery pack to be €9,500 – bringing the price of the full vehicle to €25,500 (~$29,000).

They say that battery cell prices didn’t come down to the level that they thought they would:

Since then, however, the situation has changed radically: emissions scandals, diesel driving bans and climate changes have enormously increased the pressure on politicians and automobile manufacturers to expand electromobility. This is leading to rising demand on the EV market and also to the fact that cell prices have not decreased as much as expected. For this reason, we have to adjust our expectation of the Sion’s battery price to €9,500.

Sono is aiming for a range of ~155 miles (250 km) range on a single charge.

That’s for the battery pack. Sono also announced a new deal with Continental this week for the drive unit.

The major automotive supplier will supply the electric motor for the Sion which will have “a higher torque (290 Nm), horsepower (163 PS) and deliver an improved peak performance (120 kW).”

Sono Motors says that the Sion electric car will go into series production in 2019.

Lithium-ion batteries are behind almost all of our favorite gadgets and electronics. But how much do we know about them? Let’s get down to the details.

Electric vehicles, smart phones, laptops, even watches. Pretty much all of our portable favorites, which require some sort of power, depend on Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.

Yet, we give very little thought to energy storage, unless it really becomes a nuisance. We happily pack all chargers and power banks, we equip our house with power outlets and extensions, we take this as part of the deal and we carry on with our daily activities.

Our busy lives have evolved to a state, where delayed gratitude is something from the past. We need to know everything now and if possible yesterday- fast news, fast charge, fast food. This is also why we carry all the chargers and power banks, because we cannot really accept the thought that we will be disconnected from the world- something might happen and we would be the last to know.

As stated Serena Corr, Chair in Functional Materials and Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield, the process of charging and discharging of a battery is highly complex, often not fully understood. Perhaps this complexity of the problem is one of the reasons why the majority of the people around just ignore it. However, this particular aspect of power supply is what determines the prices of our technology and electric vehicles. It is also one of the most important features that need to be checked when buying something second hand- an electric vehicle or a gadget.

An article on the Telegraph, which inspired me to write this piece, refers to an unofficial talk with Dr Wolfgang Ziebart during the launch of the Jaguar i-Pace. He was asked about his opinion on a brilliant proposal that all second hand electric vehicles come with an independent report on battery life and condition. His response was apparently very positive, however, officially, Jaguar did not issue a statement on the matter, nor did they allow an expert from their team to comment. Basically, their answer came down to- you are responsible for how you charge and use your batteries. After the guarantee period is over, you are on your own.

So let’s talk about the not-so-common facts behind Li-ion batteries that manufacturers or sales representatives would rather not tell you. We will also look into some essential tips that can help prolonging battery life.

1. The basic principle behind Li-ion batteries

Here on The GreenOptimistic we have covered this topic many times, so I will not go into too much detail now. However, I would like to just go over the basic principle. Li-ion batteries are the lightest of all rechargeable batteries. They have five essential components. An anode and cathode, which store lithium, an electrolyte, which enables the travel of the electrons, a separator and a current collector.

During battery charging, the cathode releases lithium ions, which reach the anode via the electrolyte and the separator. During discharge, these same ions move back from the anode to the cathode- a process, which generates an electrical flow. Depending on the size, use and type of Li-ion battery, the number of these cycles could be sufficient to power a device or a vehicle for many years.

2. The influence of charge and recharge on battery life

I think I can safely say that we have all experienced the effect of this process in one way or another. If you are a driver of one of the early electric vehicles, you would know very well what I am talking about. Same goes for all of us, who make full use of their electronic devices throughout the day.

Technically what happens inside the battery is that with every charge-discharge cycle, the cathode degrades due to complex mechanical and chemical processes. This degradation is essentially change in volume, or rearrangements of atoms. In addition, the electrolyte could also experience modifications. The so called process of “coating”, during which certain reactions take place in the electrolyte, results in covering parts of the electrode. As a consequence, the ability of the battery to hold the charge decreases. And if this is not enough, simple factors, such as pressure and temperature, could further affect the battery life in one way or another.

3. Do the manufacturers of electric vehicles care?

OK, enough technicalities. Let’s put all this into context. Perhaps the most relevant example here would be the situation with electric vehicles, as these have the highest and fastest positive impact on the environment.

Unfortunately, here the availability of chemical elements plays a crucial role. Many issues have arisen in the past few years from ethical to environmental considerations related to mining and extraction. These of course has taken a big toll on prices.

But of course, car manufacturers have a direct interest to provide a solution to the problem and find alternative ways to prolong battery life. A lot is being said about replacing the cobalt (problematic chemical to extract) with nickel, in the cathodes. In addition, many tests are being conducted on modifying the electrolyte to reduce coating and degradation. Research is still ongoing, however, it is moving in the right direction.

4. Differences between Li-ion batteries in smart phones and vehicles.

For all of us, slightly disappointed by the somewhat questionable performance of the batteries in our smart phones, it is quite reasonable to be skeptical about batteries in electric vehicles.

However, there are some differences, which might tilt the scale in the positive direction a bit.

For starters, the way we use our smartphones is key. Temperature and pressure are not controlled, nor is the way and time we charge the devices. With vehicles, this process is a lot more controlled and there are additional services, provided by manufacturers, that can assist further- such as (a slightly pricey) cell management.

According to the experts, however, the news is good. In the coming decade we can expect a boost in battery capacity to up to five times the current state, and a mileage of an average electric vehicle of 430 miles on a single charge. No one is commenting on pricing, however.

5. Ways to prolong battery life

Many experts agree that experience is key. As users become more accommodated with technology, they will grasp the way of saving and protecting the batteries of their electric vehicles. If you think about it, this is also the case with fuel efficiency in regular cars- we learn how to control our vehicle so that it burns less fuel.

But here is a key tip coming from professor Corr. Charging to 100% is not ideal, as it puts huge pressure on the cathode. Apparently, 80% is the perfect level and if it is sufficient for the daily needs, it would extend battery life. She hopes that as technology evolves, and more and more smart charging stations appear everywhere, batteries will be automatically limited to 80% charge. Corr also recommends that we do not fully discharge the battery.

6. The future

In the context of Black Friday, I guess this next comment of professor Corr becomes quite relevant. She believes that people should approach purchasing of electric vehicles in a slightly more need-driven approach. We should think of which vehicle could meet all our requirements in terms of daily commute, on 80% charge.

Efficiency is key, especially if we think of the benefits to both our wallets and the environment.