Types of Li-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

In recent years, the global automotive industry has made a significant move towards electric vehicles (EVs). At the heart of these vehicles is the lithium-ion battery – the key element of an electric vehicle. But did you know that there are many different types of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles today?"

All the different types of lithium-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles.

There are currently six types of lithium-ion batteries produced by the global industry. They mainly differ in the chemical composition of the battery's positive electrode (cathode). The name of lithium-ion batteries is formed from the names of the elements used in the cathode:
    LCO | Lithium-Cobalt LiCoO2
    LMO | Lithium-manganese-oxide LiMn2O4 and Li2MnO3
    NMC | Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide LiNiMnCoO2
    NCA | Lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminium-oxide LiNiCoAlO2
    LFP | Lithium-iron-phosphate LiFePo4
    LTO | Lithium-titanate-oxide Li4Ti5O12

Naturally, there are many more chemical compositions of lithium-ion batteries than those listed above, but not all are destined for commercial production.

There are three types found in automotive applications: LFP, NMC, NCA. Although LMO batteries were used in electric cars in the early days of lithium-ion batteries, this type of battery has now given way to more advanced batteries. Moreover, car manufacturers are not rigidly bound to a certain type of battery, even within the same model they can use different types of batteries.

Comparing NMC, NCA and LFP batteries.

Each type of battery has its own unique properties, both positive and negative.

Any type of battery has its own unique properties.

Energy density – is the amount of energy (Wh) a battery can store in specific gravity or specific volume. Current technology can achieve the energy density of NMC battery around 230~250 Wh/kg, that of NCA battery – around 322 Wh/kg, while the energy density of LFP battery mainly ranges around 130~160 Wh/kg. But in practice, the difference in electric vehicle mileage between NMC and LFP batteries is small, as it is recommended to charge the NMC battery up to 80% to preserve the life, while LFP can be charged up to 100% without any damage.

The NMC battery is recommended to be charged up to 80%, while LFP can be charged up to 100% without any damage.

Safety. The safety parameter has gained importance after several cases of spontaneous combustion of Tesla cars. In terms of safety, LFP batteries are leading the way. Due to their excellent thermal and chemical stability, as well as their ability to deliver significant power without heating, they minimise the risk of overheating or fire, unlike NCA/NMC batteries.

Temperature resistance. LFP battery has better performance at high temperatures, while NCA/NMC perform better at low temperatures. For example, at -20℃, NMC battery can release 70.14% of its capacity; while LFP battery can only release 54.94%. Thus, the NMC battery is the best choice for low temperature applications.

Life span. In this parameter, LFP batteries are better than NMC/NCA batteries. In LFP batteries, when charged/recharged with 1C current and at 100% depth of discharge, the battery can last up to 3000 cycles. If the depth of discharge is at least 80%, the LFP battery can already withstand up to 4500 cycles. That is, if the LFP battery is charged and discharged once a day at 100%, it will take 8 years to show a noticeable drop in capacity. Under the same conditions, the NMC battery performs worse with an average of 1000 to 2000 cycles. The NCA battery has a worse life expectancy of 500 to 1000 cycles.

Environmental friendliness. Environmental friendliness is the main motive behind the creation of electric cars. If any material has a harmful effect on the environment, it should not be used. Here again LFP batteries are being defeated by NMC and NCA. Cobalt, which is used in NMC and NCA batteries,  is a toxic substance and adversely affects living organisms.

Price. On this parameter all types of batteries have almost parity. The cost of raw material for NMC and NCA batteries is more expensive than that of LFP battery. However, the production of LFP battery is more complex, so it costs more. As a result, the price difference between these two batteries (for the same capacity) is about 5 to 15% in favour of LFP batteries.

The above comparison gives a general idea of the advantages and disadvantages of NMC batteries, NCA batteries and LFP batteries. The LFP lithium battery is significantly safer to operate and will have less environmental impact in the future. Because of this, LFP batteries are becoming the predominant battery type for electric vehicles. In China, the main producer of lithium-ion batteries, LFP batteries currently account for more than 60 per cent of the total production volume.

Despite the different chemical compositions of lithium-ion batteries, the MS800 tester can identify faulty battery modules in hybrid and electric vehicles. The tester provides simultaneous diagnostics of 36 lithium-ion battery modules. The process of diagnostics of lithium-ion battery modules of electric vehicles is automatic.

Features of the MS800 tester:

• Diagnoses high-voltage battery modules by determining their capacity.
• Charges series connected battery cells that have become unbalanced over time.
• Prepares the battery for installation on the car by balancing the voltage of all modules.
• Prepares the modules for storage by charging them to a certain level.