SK on is set to develop a high-nickel nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery capable of traveling 300 km on a 5-minute charge.
During a keynote speech at The Battery Conference held at COEX in the Gangnam district of Seoul on March 7 as part of the largest battery exhibition in South Korea, InterBattery 2024, SK on researcher Lee Jon-ha announced plans to significantly increase driving distance and energy density with the development of a high-nickel NCM battery.
Lee mentioned, “A level where a 5-minute charge allows for 300 km of driving would be sufficient,” adding, “SK on had already completed the development of a 7-minute rapid charging technology two years ago.”
The company aims to enable a driving range of 700 km by 2026 and 800 km by 2030 (per charge) by increasing the nickel content and the amount of silicon in the anode. During the same period, they plan to increase the energy density by approximately 14%.
To achieve this, SK on will utilize technologies such as dual coating of silicon anode materials to improve the mobility of lithium ions, magnetic orientation methods to shorten the lithium-ion travel path through vertical alignment of graphite particles in the anode, and multi-coating.
SK on also introduced a water-free process at InterBattery, reducing the post-processing steps for high-nickel cathode materials by 30% and cutting costs. The company plans to reduce costs through various technologies, including “less cobalt” batteries, cobalt-free batteries, and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
Furthermore, SK on is pushing a diversification strategy in its portfolio. Currently mass-producing only pouch-type batteries, SK on has successfully produced prismatic prototype batteries. Researcher Lee emphasized the need for a diversified portfolio for growth, stating, “If the initial market for batteries was a time for selection and concentration, now is the time to grow through a varied portfolio.”