Electric Car Lithium Battery

In the face of ever-rising fuel prices, electric and hybrid vehicles are attracting increasing attention. But beyond economy of use, it’s essential to understand the central role played by their lithium batteries.

Pro Lithium takes a look at these technologies, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of electric motorization. We’ll analyze how the battery affects performance, range and long-term costs, to help you make an informed choice when purchasing your next vehicle.

The performance of an electric car, such asrange,acceleration and weight, depends directly on the characteristics of its lithium battery. Understanding the type of battery is therefore essential to grasping the advantages and disadvantages of each model.

Type batterie	Densité Energetique	Densité de puissance	Stabilité	Tolérance températures	Durée de vie	Coût	Moyenne
(Composant)	Kwh/Kg	Kw/Kg	Fiablité / Sécurité	Résistance Temp / Hum	Années	Kw	Performance
LiCoO2 - Dioxyde de Cobalt de Lithium	8/10	4/10	4/10	6/10	4/10	6/10	5.33/10
NMC - Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganèse	8/10	6/10	6/10	6/10	6/10	6/10	6.33/10
LFP - Lithium Fer Phosphate LifePo4	4/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	7.33/10
NCA - Lithium oxyde d\'Aluminium Nickel Cobalt	8/10	6/10	4/10	6/10	6/10	4/10	5.66/10
LMO - Lithium ion oxyde de manganèse	6/10	6/10	6/10	4/10	4/10	6/10	5.33/10
LTO - Titanate de Lithium Li4Ti2O12	4/10	6/10	8/10	8/10	8/10	2/10	6/10

Type batterie

Densité Energetique

Densité de puissance

Stabilité

Tolérance températures

Durée de vie

Coût

Moyenne

(Composant)

Kwh/Kg

Kw/Kg

Fiablité / Sécurité

Résistance Temp / Hum

Années

Performance

LiCoO2 - Dioxyde de Cobalt de Lithium

8/10

4/10

6/10

4/10

6/10

5.33/10

NMC - Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganèse

8/10

6/10

6.33/10

LFP - Lithium Fer Phosphate LifePo4

4/10

8/10

7.33/10

NCA - Lithium oxyde d\'Aluminium Nickel Cobalt

8/10

6/10

4/10

6/10

4/10

5.66/10

LMO - Lithium ion oxyde de manganèse

6/10

4/10

6/10

5.33/10

LTO - Titanate de Lithium Li4Ti2O12

4/10

6/10

8/10

2/10

6/10

Battery type Lithium (Chemistry)

Let’s now look at the main lithium-ion battery technologies on the market: NMC, LFP, LTO, NCA, LiCoO₂ and LMO.

Lithium-ion and Lithium battery the differences?!

Lithium-ion / Li-ion

It’s common to confuse “lithium battery” with “lithium-ion battery”. Yet they are two distinct technologies:

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery: This is the technology found everywhere today, in our phones, laptops and the vast majority of electric vehicles. The word“ion” is essential, because it’s a lithium ion that moves to generate energy.

Lithium-ion and lithium: what's the difference?

Lithium metal battery: Its anode is composed directly of pure lithium metal. This metal acts as the electrode, and lithium ions ( $L i^{+}$ ) move between the electrodes during operation.

Lithium-cobalt battery (LiCoO₂)

The lithium-cobalt battery (LiCoO₂), also known as LCO or LICO, was one of the first lithium-ion technologies to be commercialized.

It consists of a lithium-cobalt oxide cathode and a graphite anode, whose superimposed layers host lithium ions. Although its production cost is relatively low, it is less used today in high-performance applications, due to its shorter life and low fast-charge capacity.

This is why it is mainly used in devices where its low cost is an advantage, such as cell phones and laptops.

Unit in charge

Once the battery is charged, the lithium ions have left the cathode. We then find cobalt dioxide ( $C o O_{2}$ ) at the cathode (positive pole) and the lithium graphite ( $L i C_{6}$ ) at the anode (negative pole).

Cell discharged

This cell offers a lifetime of around 800 cycles, with a nominal voltage of 3.6 V and an energy density of around 200 Wh/kg.

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries, commonly referred to as LFP, are a lithium-ion technology that is gaining in popularity. Renowned for their low production costs, they are increasingly used in electric vehicles by manufacturers such as Tesla and BYD, but also for industrial and stationary energy storage systems.

Benefits

Safety and durability: They have excellent thermal stability and contain no cobalt or nickel, making them safer.
Long service life: They offer exceptional service life, with over 5,000 charge and discharge cycles, making them extremely durable.
Cost: Their low manufacturing cost makes them a more economical solution.

Disadvantages

Energy density: Their energy density is around 15% lower than that of other chemistries, making them heavier and bulkier for equivalent capacity.
Low-temperature performance: They perform less well at operating temperatures below 15°C.

Unit in charge

Oncethe LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery is charged, the composition of the two electrodes is as follows:

Positive pole (cathode): Consists of iron phosphate ( $F e P O_{4}$ )lithium ions ( $L i^{+}$ ) having left it during the charge.
Negative pole (anode): Consists of lithium graphite ( $L i C_{6}$ )The lithium is inserted between the graphite layers.

Cell discharged

LFP cells offer a remarkable service life of over 5,000 charge/discharge cycles.

They have a nominal voltage of 3.2 V and an energy density of around 100 to 110 Wh/kg.

What’s more, they can withstand very high temperatures, with thermal stability of up to 250°C.

Lithium batteries of the NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) type are the most widespread on the European electric vehicle market. Their popularity is due to their performance and high energy density.

Composition and operation

The special feature of these batteries lies in the composition of their cathode (the positive electrode), which is a mixture of nickel, manganese and cobalt oxides. It is from this mixture that the name NMC derives.

These batteries operate on the lithium-ion principle: when discharged, lithium ions (Li+) travel from the anode to the cathode, generating an electric current.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages: NMC batteries are renowned for their high energy density, enabling them to store a large amount of energy with reduced weight and volume. They also offer excellent performance and above-average service life.
Disadvantages : They are more sensitive to high temperatures, which can make them less stable. In addition, the use of cobalt and nickel, whose extraction is costly and raises ethical issues, makes these batteries more expensive.

Unit in charge

Once the NMC battery is charged, the composition of the two electrodes is as follows:

Positive pole (cathode) : It is composed of a blend of nickel, manganese and cobaltlithium ions ( $L i^{+}$ ) having left it during the charge.
Negative pole (anode): Consists of lithium graphite ( $L i C_{6}$ )The lithium is inserted between the graphite layers.

Cell discharged

NMC cells offer a lifetime of 1,500 to 2,000 charge/discharge cycles. They have a nominal voltage of 3.6 V and a high energy density of around 200 Wh/kg.

Lithium manganese batteries (LMO)

Lithium manganese batteries(LiMn₂O₄), better known by the acronym LMO, are a lithium-ion technology renowned for its safety and stability.

Composition: They feature a manganese dioxide cathode (positive pole) and a graphite anode (negative pole).
How it works: As with all lithium-ion batteries, operation is based on the movement of lithium ions through a separating membrane that prevents short-circuiting.

Key features

Thermal stability: LMO batteries are very stable and less prone to overheating, making them a very safe option.
Fast discharge: They are capable of delivering high currents, making them ideal for high-power applications such as power tools or hybrid vehicles.
Disadvantages: Their main drawback is their lower energy density than NMC batteries, as well as a generally shorter service life.

Unit in charge

Once the manganese battery is charged, the composition of the two electrodes is as follows:

Positive pole (cathode): Consists of manganese dioxide ( $M n_{2} O_{4}$ )lithium ions having left it during charging.
Negative pole (anode): Consists of lithium graphite ( $L i C_{6}$ )The lithium is inserted between the graphite layers.

Cell discharged

The lithium-manganese battery ( $L i M n_{2} O_{4}$ ) has a service life of around 600 charge/discharge cycles. Its nominal voltage is 3.6 V and its energy density is around 140 Wh/kg. It also boasts high thermal stability, withstanding temperatures of up to 250°C.

Lithium batteries of the NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminium) type, whose chemical formula is $L i N i C o A l O_{2}$ are a high-performance technology, but they also present a number of challenges.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages: The main advantage of NCA batteries is their very high energy density, superior to that of other chemistries. This enables them to store large quantities of energy at low weight, making them ideal for electric vehicles seeking maximum range.
Disadvantages: These batteries are more expensive due to their composition and are more sensitive to high temperatures. They require a high-performance thermal management system to guarantee their safety and optimize their lifespan.

Unit in charge

Once the NCA battery is charged, the composition of the two electrodes is as follows:

Positive pole (cathode) : It is composed of an oxide of nickel, cobalt and aluminiumlithium ions ( $L i^{+}$ ) having left it during the charge.
Negative pole (anode): Consists of lithium graphite ( $L i C_{6}$ )The lithium is inserted between the graphite layers.

Cell discharged

The NCA battery offers very high energy density, up to 280 Wh/kg, for a nominal voltage of 3.6 V. Its service life is around 500 charge/discharge cycles. However, its thermal sensitivity requires careful management, as it cannot withstand temperatures in excess of 150°C.

LTO (Lithium Titanate) batteries

The LTO battery ( $L i_{4} T i_{5} O_{12}$ ) is a unique technology that uses lithium titanate instead of graphite for its anode (negative electrode).

Advantages and disadvantages

Enhanced safety: The absence of graphite makes the battery extremely safe, considerably reducing the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating.
Lifespan and cycles: LTO batteries stand out for their exceptional lifespan, capable of withstanding several thousand charge and discharge cycles.
Ultra-fast charging: Their design enables extremely high charge and discharge rates, making them ideal for applications requiring recharging in a matter of minutes.
Disadvantages : The main drawback of LTO batteries is their low energy density, which makes them heavier and bulkier than other batteries for equivalent capacity. They are also more expensive to produce.

LTO (Lithium Titanate) batteries are distinguished by their exceptional service life. This is due to the absence of a SEI (Solid Electrolyte Interphase) layer on their titanate anode.

In conventional lithium-ion batteries, a SEI layer forms and thickens on the graphite anode over the course of several cycles. This process progressively consumes lithium, leading to reduced capacity and battery degradation.

In contrast, the anode of LTO batteries is stable and not subject to this phenomenon, preserving battery capacity over a very large number of cycles.

Lithium-ion batteries can be composed of different materials, which modify their characteristics. The use of NMC or LFP (MVO) cathodes is a good example, as these chemistries enable considerable variation in cell energy density, lifetime and safety.

LMP (Lithium Metal Polymer) batteries

Lithium metal polymer (LMP) batteries are distinguished by the use of a polymer electrolyte in gel or solid form, rather than a liquid electrolyte.

Advantages: Polymer electrolyte offers greater resistance to shock and vibration, making them safer in certain conditions.
Disadvantages : This technology is, however, limited by a lower number of charge and discharge cycles, around 300 cycles. In addition, LMP batteries often need to operate at high temperatures to function properly.

One of the main disadvantages of LMP batteries is their high operating temperature, which must be maintained between 60°C and 80°C to guarantee correct operation and service life.

This constraint represented a major challenge for the automotive industry. That’s why this technology was quickly abandoned by projects such as the Autolib’ car-sharing service, which required vehicles to remain constantly plugged in to maintain the temperature of their batteries.