BYD 4090 battery introduction and comparison

China is the global leader in the new energy vehicle and battery industry and has a very important position in the battery field. In recent years, China’s new energy battery industry has developed rapidly and not only formed a certain industrial cluster in China, but also occupied an important position in the global market.

Chinese new energy power battery companies in the world such as BYD and CATL have excellent performance in the global market. Just two years after the launch of BYD Blade battery, BYD 4090 Hexagonal prism battery is about to make its debut. This article will look at the general information of Hexagonal prism 4090 battery to see how it is different from 4680 battery, Kirin 3.0 battery.

Introduction of hexagonal 4090 battery

BYD hexagonal prism battery is a lithium-ion battery produced by BYD. It adopts a hexagonal prism structure design, which has higher stability and safety. BYD’s hexagonal prism battery has high energy density, which can achieve longer battery life and faster charging speed. In addition, it has higher cycle life and lower temperature rise, which improves the reliability of the battery.

At present, judging from BYD’s official “hexagonal prism” battery patent. Different from the “flat and long” shape of the blade battery, this brand new battery cell presents a symmetrical hexagonal prism shape. If you look down from the top, you can see a unique honeycomb shape. Of course, with this novel shape, the biggest advantage of this design is that it is more conducive to the tight fit between the batteries and improves the space utilization and energy density of the battery pack.

According to the data on the patent, the height of the entire shell (cover + shell) is between 60-150mm, which is about half the size of an Apple mobile phone. The diameter of the inscribed circle of the shell is between 15-60mm. It is worth mentioning that the patent also mentions: “The height of the shell can be 90mm, and the diameter of the inscribed circle can be 40mm”, and according to the naming rules of the battery, we can call this battery “4090 battery”.

For reference, the Tesla 4680 battery measures 80mm in height and 46mm in diameter. This new type of battery is very different from the common square and cylindrical batteries, so compared to Tesla’s 4680 battery, BYD’s hexagonal prismatic battery will taller and thinner.

Features of BYD 4090 battery

High energy density: It can store a large amount of electrical energy and provide long electric range.

High safety: advanced safety protection technology is adopted to prevent the battery from overcharging, over-discharging, short-circuiting, etc.

High cycle life: It has a high cycle life and can be used for a long time.
Environmental protection: It does not contain toxic substances and meets environmental protection requirements.

Safety of hexagonal prism battery

The 4090 hexagonal prism battery can improve the safety of the battery due to its unique hexagonal prism structure design. This structure can effectively reduce the thermal evolution of the battery during use, thereby reducing the risk of fire. In addition, the hexagonal prismatic battery also adopts a series of safety protection technologies, such as overcharge protection, overdischarge protection, etc., to prevent the battery from malfunctioning during use.

However, although the hexagonal prismatic battery has high safety, some safety issues still need to be paid attention to during use, such as avoiding high temperature, preventing impact, etc. In general, the hexagonal prism battery is a safe and reliable battery that can provide consumers with a better experience.

Difference between 4090 battery and 4680 battery

Both BYD 4090 and Tesla 4680 batteries will use CTC technology, that is, a module-free solution. The entire battery pack is full of batteries without a well-shaped basic frame. The battery will use side heat dissipation, the efficiency is relatively high, and the performance of the vehicle will be better.

The main difference between 4090 battery and 4680 battery is in the structural strength. When 4680 cylindrical cells are combined together, the space between two adjacent cylindrical cells is large, which will make the mechanical stability of the cylindrical battery pack insufficient. When it is subjected to external vibration or impact, it may cause short circuit or damage, which seriously affects the safety of the vehicle.

The hexagonal prism 4090 battery, after being grouped, forms a honeycomb shape, which can make the battery cells have no gaps, thereby improving the structural strength of the battery pack. In addition, it is reported that the shell material of the hexagonal prism “4090 battery” may be made of aluminum alloy.

This can not only ensure the strength of the power battery, but also reduce the weight of the battery pack. The significance of this high-strength battery pack is not only in terms of safety, but it may also be the future development trend of BYD. In addition, the 4680 cylindrical single battery and the hexagonal prism 4090 battery also have different properties in other aspects.

The “4090 battery” with a hexagonal prism accommodates more electrolyte to prolong the service life of the pole core. At the same time, when connecting multiple batteries into a battery module, it also effectively improves the utilization of external space.

In addition, the two batteries also have completely different structures on the positive and negative pole pieces of the battery cell. The Tesla 4680 battery adopts the electrodeless scheme, and the internal process is very complicated, making it very difficult to manufacture. The tabs of the 4090 battery are more obvious. The rectangular block is the positive pole, and the middle cylinder is the negative pole. The positive and negative poles are separated by a height difference.

The above is the result obtained by comparing the patent information disclosed so far. In addition to these patent information, some netizens also left many questions about BYD 4090 battery. For example, although the manufacturing difficulty has decreased, can the 4090 battery reach the same level as the 4680 battery in terms of performance? Can the 4090 battery bring the same shocking success as the blade battery? But in any case, BYD’s development of battery technology will not be limited to blade batteries.

4090 vs 4680 vs Kirin battery comparison

Use CATL Kirin 3.0 battery (hereinafter referred to as Kirin 3.0), BYD hexagonal prism battery (hereinafter referred to as 4090), Tesla 4680 battery (hereinafter referred to as 4680) and the latest battery products of three mainstream manufacturers as objects, and use them in the battery space The five aspects of power rate, energy density, fast charging design, structural strength, and cooling effect are compared.

Energy density: Kirin 3.0>4680>4090
According to public data, under the same chemical system and the same battery size, the 3.0 version of the Kirin battery system is 13% higher than that of the Tesla 4680. Lithium iron phosphate can reach 160Wh/kg and 290Wh/L, and ternary high nickel can reach 250Wh/kg and 450Wh/L.

Although the latest 4680 battery has higher comprehensive performance, its energy density is only 250Wh/kg, which is still lower than that of the old model. The hexagonal prism 4090 battery still uses lithium iron phosphate as the positive electrode material, and the limit does not exceed 290Wh/L. The data of the ternary high-nickel battery it carries has not yet been released.

Battery packaging process: 4680>4090>Kirin 3.0
We know that both Tesla CTC4680 and BYD CTB4090 have no module structure, the structure is relatively simple, easy to standardize, and the product consistency and economic performance are better.

However, CATL in top 10 lithium ion battery manufacturers in China insists that the CTP structure is oriented to high energy density, with complex structure and poor product consistency. However, under the increasingly advanced smart battery equipment system, the problem of product consistency will be better resolved.

Volume space utilization: 4090> Kirin 3.0> 4680
According to the data of the 2022 Kirin 3.0 battery product launch conference, the space utilization rate of the Kirin 3.0 battery reaches 72%. According to the data, the space utilization rate of 4680 is only 63%, which is about 13% lower than that of Kirin 3.0.

The single battery cell of the 4090 battery presents a hexagonal prism-like honeycomb structure, and the tight fit between the batteries has the highest space utilization rate, which is close to 75%, which is higher than the Kirin 3.0 space utilization rate.

Structural hardness: Kirin 3.0>4090>4680
In terms of structural hardness, Kirin 3.0 uses a CTP module structure, which is stronger than 4680 and 4090 in terms of hardness. The hexagonal prism “4090 battery”, after being grouped, forms a honeycomb shape, which can make the battery cells have no gaps, thereby improving the structural strength of the battery pack, which is obviously greater than 4680.

Fast charge design: Kirin 3.0>4680>4090
According to the data released by the Kirin 3.0 battery product launch, the battery supports a quick hot start in 5 minutes, and can be charged from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes, which has improved fast charging performance and service life. According to reports, Tesla’s latest 4680 battery only takes 52 minutes to charge from 0% to 97%, and the charging efficiency is considerable.

Compared with the above two batteries, the charging time of the 4090 battery is relatively longer. It is understood that the fast charging of this kind of battery, from 20% to 80%, takes more than 1 hour. The above battery comparison is only based on the data on paper.

In reality, because they are cutting-edge batteries, they have not been on the market for a long time, and their actual performance remains to be seen. Of course, there is no doubt that any of these types of batteries will trigger a huge industrial effect and become the mainstream product in the future battery market.