LITHIUM BATTERIES: TRANSFORMING THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

Thanks to climate change, the world is shifting to electric vehicles to mitigate its many layered harmful effects.

One of the ingredients that will power the success of EVs will be lithium-ion batteries. It is already playing a critical role in other sectors like consumer durables, etc, and is today transforming the automotive sector as well.

What is bringing about the transformation of the automotive sector is the growing adoption of EVs among consumers. This has helped boost demand for lithium-ion batteries which is critical for energy-saving, pollution-reducing EVs.

As more people realize the need for reducing the usage of hazardous oil waste and properly maintaining vehicle engines, the demand for EVs and lithium-ion batteries will only grow. Improved battery technologies will further make the batteries better eventually ensuring continued demand for lithium-ion batteries.

HOW LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES ARE TRANSFORMING?

With their high-density features, lithium-ion batteries are transforming the automotive sector in ways that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Lithium-ion batteries can pack huge amounts of power in one pack. Among the various battery types, they have one of the highest energy densities, in the range of 100-200 watt-hour/kg. This makes them ideal for high-power sources like electric vehicles.

They can also operate under various differing conditions from low to high temperatures, low drains to high drains, in any kind of adverse weather conditions. They can also withstand shock and vibration-tolerant environments.

Apart from this, they also offer

SUPER-FAST CHARGING

Lithium-ion batteries can be recharged quickly. They take at the most, maximum 1 hour or even less to charge, much faster than lead-acid batteries which consumes more than 10 hours for charging; and Ni-MH batteries which consume two to four hours for charging.

Rapid charging will also allow lithium-ion batteries to reduce idle time drastically. This will result in less downtime, and help EVs to operate better, and safer.

LOW DISCHARGE RATE

Lithium-ion batteries have self-discharge rates in the range of 1% to 3% per month. On the other hand, other types of batteries like nickel-cadmium batteries have self-discharge rates of 15% to 30% per month.

The lower the self-discharge rates, the more they will help increase the lifespan of batteries. For continual sources of energy, it is important to have batteries that have low discharge rates. This is what makes lithium-ion batteries so good for EVs.

If the self-discharge rates are high then it will trigger chemical actions within the cell as a result of which the battery cell will lose its energy rapidly.

LONGER LIFESPAN

Low self-discharge rate in lithium-ion batteries allows them to enjoy a longer lifespan. They enjoy an average lifespan of 8 years which can be extended further with better maintenance and servicing.

With a longer lifespan, they will provide better work performance and have the capacity to deliver more current in comparison to other battery types.

MINIMAL MAINTENANCE

When compared to other battery types, lithium-ion batteries need lesser maintenance. Their lifespan is not associated with any adverse memory effect. Hence, there is no need for extra care to prolong their lifespan since their lifespan is generally long and they also operate well.

MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The world is facing grave environmental challenges. Lithium-ion batteries are a clean source of energy. They are non-toxic; easily rechargeable and recyclable; all factors that help reduce automotive pollution.

When the lifespan of the lithium-ion batteries ends, they can be returned back to the concerned industries. There the metal salts of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese are all extracted. Once that’s done, then they can all be reused in the manufacture of various energy storage systems.

The world is witnessing an increasing adoption of EVs in the automotive sector. As a result of this, the automotive sector is gravitating towards renewable energy technologies. Bloomberg NEF has predicted that global demand for EVs using lithium-ion battery technology will leapfrog 10 fold from 2018 to 2030.

?INDIAN EV MARKET SCENARIO

A report by JMK Research & the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA) reveals that India is expected to be the world’s largest automotive market by 2026 and EVs will form a substantial part of it. Electric vehicles will account for 90 percent of lithium batteries with the annual capacity predicted to grow nearly 50-fold, from 2.6 Gigawatt hours (GWh) in the financial year 2020-21 to 113 GWh by the financial year 2029-30. The report further reveals that the demand will rise on the back of favorable government policies, like faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and EV (FAME); and various state-level EV policies.

The market demand for EV batteries as per conservative estimates is expected to touch US$ 300 billion in India by 2030, including a secondary market of more than 2.5 million e-rickshaws.

India will have an inherent advantage with

• World-class capabilities in assembling and Battery Management Systems (BMS). Also, assembly costs are cheaper in India, and BMS is software-driven, an area in which India specializes. Market experts reckon that once lithium-ion cell manufacturing starts in India, it will be better positioned with its software capabilities than most countries.
• Local service and local technology and support capabilities. This will enable Indian manufacturers to scale better than international manufacturers, as duties will be fewer thanks to favorable government exemptions and subsidies.

Continual research in the lithium-ion battery segment will help bring down its prices. It will also usher in the entry of more efficient batteries that will allow EVs to run longer and last longer as well.

FINAL POINT

Lithium-ion batteries offer the best balance between weight, size, cost, and performance parameters. This is what makes them an essential ingredient of EVs. As lithium-ion technology gets better, the automotive sector will find it transforming it in ways that will make the current transformation minor in comparison. ?

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