- With the transition to electric vehicles well underway, Lithium-ion battery cells have been the mainstay of the revolution.
- However, with these battery types needing critical materials such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and lithium, US battery technology company Group1 have revealed a new Potassium-ion battery.
- Configured in the same cylindrical 18650 form factor as many Lithium-ion batteries, the battery type can easily be applied to existing applications, such as electric vehicles.
A new choice for EV battery packs?
Group1 unveiled its new Potassium-ion battery at the USA’s annual ‘Beyond Lithium-ion Conference’, which seeks to explore the future of energy storage which goes beyond current conventional Li-ion batteries. As well as having the potential to be more sustainable, thanks to the lack of critical materials mentioned above, Group1 say that these batteries offer a superior life cycle and high discharge capacity. The 18650 form factor used is the same used in Li-ion form in Tesla’s Model S and Model X EVs, highlighting how this chemistry could easily make its way into EVs in the future.
These batteries are still in sample phase, with Group1 giving out examples to Tier 1 OEMs and cell manufacturers. However, long-term, the manufacturer is aiming for an energy density around the 160-180Wh/kg mark, roughly equivalent to some Lithium-ion batteries. The manufacturer hasn’t yet hinted at the cost difference of a Potassium-ion battery pack over a Lithium-ion pack, which will be a key factor in its potential adoption within the EV sector.
Alexander Girau, CEO of Group1, commented:
“We are excited to introduce the world’s first 18650 Potassium-ion battery… This innovation represents years of dedicated research and product development. By distributing samples to our partners among Tier 1 OEMs and cell manufacturers, we are paving the way for widespread adoption of this transformative technology.”
Potassium-ion won’t be the only battery type vying for a spot in future EVs, however. Solid state batteries have proven to bring much higher energy density, and increased reliability over their Li-ion counterparts, as Samsung recently demonstrated, and are, at first, being aimed at the ‘super premium’ EV segment.
