Faster and Longer
Samsung SDI unveiled a new battery cell which enables electric vehicles (EVs) to run up to 600 kilometers with fast charging.
The company announced that it showcased “integrated battery module” at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2017 held on January 9 (local time) in COBO Center, Detroit. It is a “high-energy density battery cell of the next generation for a driving range of up to 600 kilometers that can fast charge EVs in 20 minutes” with a 10 percent decrease in component units and weight compared to the currently produced models. The development of the fast charging technology is making a rapid advancement thanks to its technological know-how in materials and processes that vastly decreased the resistance inside a battery cell.
With a 20 minute charge, the battery cell can secure a driving range of up to 500 kilometers which is 80 percent of the capacity. This product will be mass produced in 2021.
In addition, Samsung SDI exhibited a brand-new EV battery module platform, "integrated battery module." A conventional EV battery module which consists of 12 cells has a capacity of 2 to 3kWh. By contrast, the integrated battery module has more than 24 cells with a higher capacity of 6 to 8kWh, which makes it an adequate module in the full-fledged high-capacity EV era.
In particular, the integrated battery module is not only larger in size but shows a higher safety level because the advanced electro-mechanical design has been applied. An official from Samsung SDS said, “When the integrated battery module is applied to an EV, it is expected to bring benefit to both battery industry and automakers as it will be lighter with fewer components. Since we are increasingly witnessing a change in many automakers' sourcing strategy from battery cells to modules in the EV sector, Samsung SDI is expecting a rising customers' demand in the integrated battery modules.”
Samsung SDI also showcased the “21700” cylindrical battery cell model with the improved energy density, power and performance, and U.S. automobile startups have released EVs using this technology.