Hyundai-invested SES to provide Li-Metal battery B samples, eyes UAM

SES AI Corp., a high-performance battery maker backed by several global automakers such as GM and Hyundai Motor Co., has moved one step closer to commercializing a next-generation lithium-metal battery, heralded as an electric vehicle game-changer due to its high energy density.

At its Battery World 2023 event’s online session in South Korea on Wednesday, the US startup also announced its plan to launch Li-Metal battery (LMB) cells for urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, often called flying cars.

SES AI, formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems, said it has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) on the world’s first Li-Metal B samples with an unidentified global automaker.

Industry sources said one of its automotive partners – GM, Hyundai Motor and Japan’s Honda Motor – is the carmaker with which SES has signed the JDA.

SES said it will soon sign a second JDA with another global automaker to manufacture practical B samples.

“Entering into an automotive B sample (agreement) is a major milestone towards the commercialization of Li-Metal batteries and the future of electrified transportation on land and in the air,” said Qichao Hu, founder and chief executive of SES AI at Battery World 2023.

During its inaugural Battery World event in 2021, SES showcased the world’s first automotive Li-Metal B sample with an energy density of up to 400 Wh per kilogram, much higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries. The company at the time signed A-sample JDAs with GM, Hyundai Motor and Japan’s Honda Motor.

New battery technology is being developed through samples ranging from A to D.

At Wednesday’s event, SES unveiled a new form factor, a prismatic type, for Li-Metal batteries to broaden its customer base.

“We will adjust our production lines to produce both pouch and prismatic types,” Hu said.

Both types have the same energy density with a capacity of 100 Ah. The prismatic form, however, is safer.

“This achievement was the culmination of fundamental breakthroughs in material chemistry and cell engineering that led to a significant improvement in Li-Metal practical safety,” he said.

LI-METAL BATTERIES FOR FLYING CARS

SES AI’s B sample Li-Metal battery has an energy density of 935 Wh per liter, 34% higher than lithium-ion batteries.

The company said its latest battery is particularly suitable for lightweight aircraft.

The CEO said he expects the commercialization of entry-level Li-Metal batteries in 2025. B samples and C samples for UAM and EV purposes will be adopted by future mobility providers after that, he said.

SES, which was involved in UAM-related projects in 2017, said on Wednesday that it is now seriously entering the UAM market with its latest Li-Metal batteries.

Founded in 2012, SES is a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The company is headquartered in Boston and has operations in Shanghai and South Korea.

KEY INVESTORS INCLUDE HYUNDAI, SK

Hyundai Motor, Korea’s top automaker, said in 2021 it would invest $100 million in SES for an equity stake and joint battery development projects for next-generation EVs and UMA vehicles.

Hyundai has been beefing up efforts to develop advanced batteries, including an all-solid-state battery (ASSB) since Chairman Chung Euisun identified future mobility, such as urban air mobility, as the group's future growth driver in 2020.

Korea’s SK Group is the US battery startup’s second-largest shareholder with a 12.7% stake following its largest shareholder Hu.

Industry officials said lithium-metal batteries will become a game-changer when commercialized, given their higher energy density and longer lifespans.

Last week, LG Energy Solution Ltd., a Korean battery maker, said it and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) have developed a new lithium-metal battery technology that promises a 50% increase in EV driving range compared to conventional lithium-ion battery cells.

LG said the new technology will achieve an energy density sufficient to drive up to 900 km on a single charge.

Write to Sungsu Bae at baebae@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.