The six types of lithium-ion batteries: a visual comparison
Lithium-ion batteries are at the heart of the clean energy transition as a key technology powering electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems.
However, there are many types of lithium-ion batteries, each with pros and cons.
The infographic above shows the advantages among the top six lithium-ion cathode technologies based on research by Miao et al. and Battery University. This is the first of two infographics of ours Battery Technology Series.
Understanding the six main lithium ion technologies
Each of the six different types of lithium-ion batteries has a different chemical composition.
The anodes in most lithium-ion batteries are made of graphite. Usually, the mineral composition of the cathode is what changes, making the difference between battery chemistries.
The cathode material usually contains lithium along with other minerals such as nickel, manganese, cobalt or iron. This composition ultimately determines the capacity, power, performance, cost, safety and life of the battery.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top six lithium-ion cathode technologies.
#1: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC)
NMC cathodes typically contain large proportions of nickel, which increases the energy density of the battery and allows for longer ranges in electric vehicles. However, high nickel content can make the battery unstable, so manganese and cobalt are used to improve thermal stability and safety. Several combinations of NMC have been commercially successful, including NMC811 (composed of 80% nickel, 10% manganese and 10% cobalt), NMC532i NMC622.
2: Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA)
NCA batteries share nickel-based advantages with NMC, such as high energy density and specific power. Instead of manganese, NCA uses aluminum to increase stability. However, NCA cathodes are relatively less safe than other lithium-ion technologies, more expensive, and typically only used in high-performance EV models.
#3: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
Because of their use of iron and phosphate instead of nickel and cobalt, LFP batteries are cheaper to manufacture than nickel-based variants. However, they offer less specific energy and are more suitable for standard or short-range electric vehicles. In addition, LFP is considered one of the safest chemistries and has a long shelf life, which allows its use in energy storage systems.
4: Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO)
Although LCO batteries are very energy dense, their drawbacks include a relatively short lifetime, low thermal stability, and limited specific power. Therefore, these batteries are a popular choice for low-load applications such as smartphones and laptops, where they can deliver relatively smaller amounts of power for long durations.
5: Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO)
Also known as manganese spinel batteries, LMO batteries offer improved safety and fast charge and discharge capabilities. In electric vehicles, LMO cathode material is often mixed with NMC, where the LMO part provides high current under acceleration and NMC allows for longer driving ranges.
#6: Lithium Titanate (LTO)
Unlike the other chemistries above, where the composition of the cathode makes the difference, LTO batteries use a unique anode surface made of lithium and titanium oxides. These batteries exhibit excellent safety and performance at extreme temperatures, but have low capacity and are relatively expensive, limiting their use at scale.
Which batteries dominate the electric vehicle market?
Now that we know the six main types of lithium-ion batteries, which ones dominate the electric vehicle market and how will this change in the future?
To find out, stay tuned Part 2 from Battery Technology Serieswhere we will see the top electric vehicle battery chemistries by forecast market share from 2021 to 2026.
