Lithium sulphur for safe road electrification
Li-ion batteries are still the limiting factor for mass scale adoption of electrified vehicles and there is a need for new batteries that enable EVs with higher driving range, higher safety and faster charging at lower cost. LiS is a promising alternative to Li-ion free of critical raw material (CRM) and non-limited in capacity and energy by material of intercalation. LISA proposes the development of high energy and safe LiS battery cells with hybrid solid state non-flammable electrolytes validated at 20Ah cell level according to EUCAR industrial standards for automotive integration. LISA will solve specific LiS bottlenecks on metallic lithium protection, power rate, and volumetric energy density; together with cost the main selection criteria for EV batteries. The sustainability of the technology will be assessed from an environmental and economic perspective. The technology will be delivered ready for use within the corresponding state of charge estimator facilitating battery pack integration. Today, LiS is twice lighter than Li-ion and has reached only 10% of the sulphur theoretical energy density (2600Wh/kg) at cell prototype level (250-300Wh/kg), with potentially 800Wh/l (600Wh/kg) achievable by improving materials, components and manufacturing. LISA is strongly oriented to the development of lithium metal protection and solid state electrolyte; and will incorporate manufacturability concepts enabling integration in future manufacturing lines. Moreover, the outcome of the project in terms of new materials, components, cells, and manufacturability will be transferable to other lithium-anode based technologies such as Li-ion and solid state lithium technologies. As such, LISA will have a large impact on existing and next-generation EV batteries, delivering technology with higher energy density beyond the theoretical capacities of chemistries using CRM – i.e. natural graphite and cobalt - or silicon-based chemistries inherently limited by their manufacturability.