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Batteries

US startup SES unveils game-changing lithium-metal battery

To supply samples to GM, Hyundai Motor with target of commercialization from 2025

By Nov 04, 2021 (Gmt+09:00)

2 Min read

SES founder and CEO Qichao Hu speaks at the SES Battery World (Courtesy of SES Holdings)
SES founder and CEO Qichao Hu speaks at the SES Battery World (Courtesy of SES Holdings)

SES Holdings Pte. Ltd., one of the world’s top solid-state battery makers, unveiled a hybrid lithium-metal rechargeable battery with better performance and safety that is expected to become a game-changer in the global battery industry.

The US battery startup backed by global automakers such as General Motors Co. (GM) and Hyundai Motor Co. is working with them to deliver practical automotive samples of the battery for the initial stages of electric vehicle developments next year with a target of commercialization of the battery from 2025.

SES revealed Apollo, a 107 Ah Li-Metal battery that is the largest in the world and a breakthrough for the automotive industry at SES Battery World, the company’s inaugural virtual live-stream event on Nov. 4 in South Korea and China, followed by one on Nov. 3 in the US.

“There’s a race among leading global carmakers and next-generation battery suppliers to develop and demonstrate the world’s first 100 Ah Li-Metal battery. Today we did it. We will continue to work with our OEM partners to optimize this battery and bring it to commercial production,” said SES founder and CEO Qichao Hu.

LONGER MILEAGE, SHORTER CHARGING TIME

Apollo weighs only 0.982 kg with an energy density of 417 Wh per kilogram, much higher than the 250-300Wh of existing lithium-ion batteries’ density. The higher density increases the mileage of batteries of the same size by 30%. It also takes 12 minutes to charge the battery to 90% from 10%, faster than the previous record of 18 minutes to charge a battery to 80% from 10%.

The lithium-metal battery passed various external evaluations on safety such as penetration, overcharging, short circuit and temperature tests. It operates without any issues regardless of temperatures and speed, according to Fu.

SES, formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems, changed the liquid electrolyte of the existing lithium-ion battery to highly concentrated solvent-in-salt and put lithium-metal into the anode materials containing graphite or silicon. That is a technology, just below one level for all-solid-state batteries, analysts said.

Apollo combines high energy density of lithium-metal batteries and mass-production capabilities of lithium-ion batteries, Fu said.

TO COMMERCIALIZE FROM 2025

SES plans to build a lithium-metal battery plant in Jiading, Shanghai for the target of commercialization from 2025. The 300,000 square-foot facility with an annual capacity of 1 GWh is to be completed by 2023.
Aerial image of SES factory in Shanghai (Courtesy of SES Holdings)
Aerial image of SES factory in Shanghai (Courtesy of SES Holdings)

The US startup also unveiled a plan to set up a pilot production line in South Korea.

Automakers and battery raw materials makers hailed SES’ achievement.

Hyundai Motor Co. is set to support the development of SES technology on lithium-metal batteries, said Kim Chang-hwan, the carmaker’s head of energy & environment chemical systems research.

SK Inc. will look for a business partnership with SES in line with the battery maker’s commercialization plans, said SK’s executive vice president Kim Yang-taek.

Write to Il-Gue Kim and Hyung-Kyu Kim at black0419@hankyung.com
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.
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