LG New Energy Will Mass Produce High-voltage Medium Nickel Batteries by 2025

According to BusinessKorea, industry insiders have revealed that LG New Energy plans to mass produce high-voltage medium nickel NCM (nickel cobalt manganese) batteries by 2025, which will completely change the battery market. The energy density of these advanced batteries is expected to reach 670Wh/L, with battery stability more than 30% higher than current high nickel batteries and a cost reduction of about 8%.

The company has made significant progress in high-voltage Mid Ni batteries and is expected to become a disruptor in the mid to low price battery market. LG New Energy is accelerating its development to meet the growing demand for lower prices and higher energy density, and plans to start full-scale production next year.

The medium nickel battery uses NCM as the positive electrode material, with a nickel content ranging from 40-60%. It is currently undergoing redesign to improve safety and cost-effectiveness. High voltage nickel batteries will increase manganese content while maintaining nickel content at 50-60%, which improves safety. The relatively reduced energy capacity is compensated for by increasing energy density at high voltage.

One of the key competitive advantages of these batteries is their cost-effectiveness. By reducing the proportion of expensive nickel and cobalt content and increasing the proportion of cheaper manganese, manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced. In addition, medium nickel batteries can use lithium carbonate instead of lithium hydroxide to further enhance their price competitiveness. Due to the difficulty of nickel synthesizing with lithium at high temperatures, high nickel batteries must use lithium hydroxide. However, medium nickel batteries can use cheaper lithium carbonate, providing significant economic advantages.

LG New Energy also focuses on the technology of "single crystal cathode materials" to achieve higher performance in high-voltage nickel batteries. Unlike widely used polycrystalline cathode materials, single crystal cathode materials form a single crystal structure that can withstand high voltages and has fewer cracks. The research results indicate that compared with polycrystalline cathode materials, using single crystal cathode materials can increase energy capacity by about 10% and lifespan by about 30%.

Looking ahead, LG New Energy plans to use single-crystal cathode materials to ensure durability in high-voltage environments and plans to mass produce high-voltage medium nickel NCM batteries next year. The company has also set a goal to enhance the detailed specifications of next-generation batteries through further research.