Comprehensive guide to power battery structure innovation technologies
The system specific energy and volume storage efficiency of these innovative battery structures have been significantly improved, and the problem that the original lithium iron phosphate battery was difficult to apply to cars has been basically solved.
It can even reach 600 kilometers, surpassing Volkswagen’s VDA and MEB cell size standards. In terms of battery structure innovation, Chinese companies are at the forefront of the world.
Power battery companies actively explore structural innovation
2019 is the first year of power battery structure innovation. Power battery companies and major car companies are actively exploring power battery structure innovation, introduce various de-modularized and integrated battery structure innovation technologies, and gradually apply them in the new energy vehicle market.
In the current era, the modularization and standardization of battery packs continue to deepen, and the concentration of the entire battery pack production process continues to increase as the general trend. The further innovation of power battery structure by power battery companies represented by CATL and BYD and major new energy vehicle companies represented by Tesla is worthy of attention.
Since 2019, power battery companies have actively explored structural innovation, using CTP technology to innovate the internal structure of battery packs to achieve high-quality cost reduction and efficiency enhancement, effectively offsetting a large degree of rising pressure on raw material costs.
On the one hand, material and process costs are reduced through the reduction of material and structural parts in the battery pack; on the other hand, production efficiency is reduced through standardization and large-scale production to reduce production costs, and at the same time, battery life is improved.
In 2022, the products will be fully oriented to the market after they become increasingly mature, especially under the pressure of raw material costs, the application of structural innovation technologies represented by CTP will be accelerated. It not only effectively digests the cost pressure in the short term, but also guides the road to technology parity in the long term.
It is estimated that from 2021 to 2022, due to rising raw material prices, the cost of battery cell manufacturing will increase significantly; Among them, the cost of ternary lithium battery cells increased by 308.15 RMB/Kwh, and the cost of lithium iron phosphate battery cells increased by 276.20 RMB/kWh.
The cost of raw materials has risen sharply, forcing battery manufacturers to accelerate structural innovation to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The following is the sum of technological innovations in power battery innovation from 2019 to 2022.
| Years | Product Innovation | Application exemplar |
| 2019 | SVOLT laminated battery process | —— |
| 2019 | CATL CTP1.0 | BAIC New Energy EU5 model |
| 2020 | BYD Blade Battery | The first model is the BYD medium and large high-end sedan BYD Han |
| 2020 | Gotion High-tech JTM integrated technology | —— |
| 2020 | Tesla 4680 battery | Model Y produced at Tesla’s Texas factory |
| 2021 | GAC magazine battery | GAC AION Y is the first model, and AION V PLUS, AION S PLUS, etc. are also applied |
| 2021 | Great Wall Motor Dayu Battery | The first model is the Salon Mechadragon, which will be fully applied to Great Wall’s models from 2022 |
| 2021 | AVIC Lithium one-stop battery | It was originally expected to be launched in the market in June 2022 |
| 2021 | CATL CTP2.0 | NIO series 75kWh battery pack |
| 2022 | Leapmotor CTC Solution | Leapmotor旗下全球首款CTC技术量产轿车——LeapmotorC01 |
| 2022 | BYD CTB | The first model is BYD Seal |
| 2022 | SAIC Rubik’s cube battery | SAIC MG MULAN and other models developed by SAIC Xingyun pure electric exclusive system platform |
| 2022 | CATL Qilin Battery CTP3.0 | Jikrypton 009 is the first model of Qilin battery |
Core indicators of power battery structure innovation
The following is the introduction of battery structure innovation technology of major power battery manufacturers：
CATL
Structural innovation technology: CTP3.0 (Kirin battery)
Space utilization rate: the multi-functional elastic interlayer and bottom space sharing scheme are adopted, and the volume space utilization rate can reach up to 72%
Energy density: lithium iron phosphate battery system 160Wh/kg; ternary battery system 255Wh/kg
Battery life: After mass production, the battery life of the whole vehicle is more than 1000km
Heat dissipation capacity: the world’s first large-surface cooling technology for batteries, which quadruples the heat exchange area and shortens the temperature control time of batteries to half of the original
Charging route: Support 4C fast charging, it can be charged to 80% within 10 minutes
Tesla
Structural innovation technology: 4680 battery & CTC
Space utilization: The battery is directly integrated into the chassis to improve space utilization
Energy density: 4680 battery energy is 5 times higher than 21700 battery energy
Endurance: Compared with 21700 battery, 4680 battery has a 16% increase in cruising range; CTC technology can increase 14% cruising range; the representative model 4680 version Model Y is estimated to have a cruising range of 400 miles, or 643km
Heat dissipation capacity: 4680 battery adopts full tab technology and snake-shaped cooling plate attachment design; CTC technology uses a water-cooled plate sandwiched between the cells, and an additional layer of water-cooled plate is added on top, and the heat dissipation space between the large cylinders of the 4680 battery itself is larger, and the overall heat dissipation capacity is excellent
Charging route: The 4680 battery has a fast charging capability that can charge the battery from 0 to 80% within 15 minutes
BYD
Structural innovation technology: Blade Battery & CTB
Space utilization: When the blade batteries are grouped together, modules and beams are skipped, and the space utilization rate increases to 60%; CTB technology adopts the “sandwich” structure of “battery cover-cell-tray”, and the space utilization rate increases to 66%
Energy density: The second-generation blade battery is in the research and development stage, and the energy density may reach 180Wh/kg
Endurance: The battery system based on the blade battery can easily achieve high battery life. The A-class bridge car can achieve a 500km battery life, the B-class bridge car can achieve a 600km battery life, and the C-class car can achieve a 700km battery life;
The first model of blade battery BYD Han NEDC has a comprehensive cruising range of up to 605km; the first model with CTB technology, Seal, has a pure electric cruising range of up to 700km
Heat dissipation capacity: The blade battery adopts a flat and elongated design, with a large heat dissipation area and a long internal circuit. At the same time, a unique water cooling scheme is adopted. The water cooling plate is placed above the entire battery pack and directly contacts the top plate of the module.
Cool the narrow side of the battery cell, and directly set the heat conduction plate on the top plate of the module and the side of the battery cell; CTC technology adopts the design of the upper direct cooling plate, and there is no cooling design between the battery cells
Charging route: The blade battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 33 minutes; The first model of CTB technology, the seal, is equipped with a high-voltage electric drive boost charging solution, and the charging mileage in 15 minutes can exceed 300Km
SVOLT
Structural innovation technology: laminated battery technology
Space utilization: higher space utilization at the corners
Energy density: Compared with the same type of winding process battery, the energy density of SVOLT’s laminated battery is increased by 5%
Endurance: The first laminated NMx cobalt-free battery supports a single charge to meet the needs of 880 kilometers
Heat dissipation capacity: Through the upper and lower double-layer cooling, the temperature of the battery can be controlled more accurately, and the cooling effect can be improved by 40% compared with the traditional PACK
Gotion High-tech
Structural innovation technology: JTM Integrated Technology
Energy density: Using the lithium iron phosphate material system, the energy density of the module can be close to 200Wh/Kg, and the system can reach 180Wh/Kg, which can reach the high nickel ternary level
GAC Group
Structural innovation technology: Magazine Battery
Energy density: The volume specific energy of the system is increased by 9.4%, reaching 302Wh/L, and the system mass specific energy is increased by 5.7%, reaching 185Wh/Kg
Endurance: Among the applied models, the AION LX Plus thousand-mile version has the strongest endurance, and the NEDC endurance range is 702km
Heat dissipation capacity: The three-dimensional cooling system includes a full-fit liquid cooling integrated system, efficient heat dissipation channel design, and high-precision heat conduction path design.
Based on this system, the heat dissipation area can be increased by 40%, and the heat dissipation efficiency can be increased by 30%, effectively preventing heat from spreading.
Charging route: Among the applied models, ION V Plus uses super-speed battery technology, with SPEED+ charging for 5 minutes and a range of 112km, and SPEED++ for 5 minutes and a range of 207km
Great Wall Motor
Structural innovation technology: Dayu battery
Endurance capacity: Dayu battery’s first model Great Wall Salon Mechalong CLTC operating range 802 kilometers
Heat dissipation capacity: When the thermal runaway of the battery cell occurs, the system can dissipate the heat while isolating the heat source to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation and cooling.
The whole process is roughly divided into eight directions: heat source isolation, two-way commutation, heat flow distribution, directional detonation, high temperature insulation, active fire extinguishing, positive pressure oxygen resistance, intelligent cooling
Charging route: Among the applied models, the first model Great Wall Salon Mechadragon CLTC can be charged for 10 minutes with a battery life of 401km
CALB
Structural innovation technology: one-stop battery
Space utilization: innovations in cell level, production process and other dimensions can increase space utilization by 5%
Energy density: ternary lithium battery system cell energy density 300Wh/kg, pack energy density 240Wh/kg; lithium iron phosphate battery system cell energy density 200Wh/kg, pack energy density 160Wh/kg
Endurance: The cruising range of the ternary lithium battery system can reach 1000km; the cruising range of the lithium iron phosphate battery system can reach 700km
Heat dissipation capacity: Using innovative technologies such as high-efficiency thermal management technology, integrated liquid cooling technology, and thermal runaway suppression technology, the heat transfer efficiency is increased by 50%
Leapmotor
Structural Innovation Technology: CTC Solution
Space utilization: The integrated design of the battery and chassis improves the space utilization; the space utilization of CTC technology is the first mass-produced bridge car C01, which is 5% higher than the traditional battery pack solution
Endurance: CTC technology is the first mass-produced car C01 to increase the cruising range by 10%, equipped with a 90kWh power battery, the two-wheel drive version can achieve 717km cruising range under CLTC comprehensive working conditions, and the four-wheel drive version has a cruising range of 630km
Heat dissipation capacity: Compatible with intelligent, integrated thermal management system
Charging route: Compatible with 800V high-voltage platform in the future, support 400kW super fast charging, and then realize “refueling charging”, charging for 5 minutes, battery life 200+km
SAIC Motor
Structural innovation technology: Rubik’s Cube Battery
Space utilization: LBS lying cells and advanced CTP technology are adopted, featuring ultra-high integration
Energy density: The energy density of the ternary lithium battery reaches 180Wh/kg
Endurance: MG MULAN, the first model of the Rubik’s Cube battery, can break through a hundred in 3.8 seconds, and the cruising range under CLTC conditions can reach 520km
Heat dissipation capacity: There is no isolation between the upper and lower cells, and the isolation from the adjacent cells is made of thick insulating material; Except between the cells, cooling plates and isolation structures are used to insulate the entire package of cells, and the cooling plate for lying flat cells adopts a vertical layout. Through such a passive thermal diffusion method, the Rubik’s Cube battery can directly achieve zero thermal runaway.
Charging route: Support battery swapping in the future: through ONE PACK platform design with unified size and original patented battery swapping structure, MG MULAN can realize quick replacement of all battery packs on the same device.
The core points of power battery structure innovation
| Company Name | Innovative Technology | Core Innovation |
| CATL | CTP1.0 | Remove the side panels of the module and replace them with straps |
| CTP2.0 | Further optimize the two end plates of the module, and use the vertical and horizontal beams on the battery box to replace the end plates | |
| CTP3.0 Qilin battery | Adopt the “cell-battery pack” structure, cancel the original independent design of the horizontal and vertical beams, water-cooled plates and heat insulation pads, and integrate them into a multi-functional elastic interlayer. At the same time, the bottom space sharing scheme is designed, and the world’s first large-area cooling technology for batteries is adopted. | |
| Tesla | 4680 battery | Large cell, full tab and dry cell technology |
| CTC technology | Integrate cells directly into the chassis | |
| BYD | Blade battery | Arranged together in an array, skipping modules and beams when forming a group, reducing redundant parts, forming a structure similar to honeycomb aluminum panels, thereby greatly improving the integration rate; “6S” concept with super safety, super strength, super battery life, super low temperature, super life, and super power |
| BYD | CTB technology | Cancel the design of the module and the upper casing of the battery pack, and glue the blade battery to the tray and the upper cover to form a “sandwich” structure of “battery upper cover-cell-tray”; the structural strength advantage is obvious |
| SVOLT | Laminated battery process | Cut the positive and negative electrodes into small pieces and stack them with the separator to form a small battery cell, and then stack the small battery cells in parallel to form a large battery cell |
| Gotion High-tech | JTM Integration Technology | Put the winding core directly into the module, and complete the production at one time. It has the characteristics of “low cost, simple manufacturing process, and easy to form standardization”. The biggest highlight is that it can promote the standardization of the module. |
| Gac group | Magazine battery | When the thermal runaway of the battery cell occurs, the system can dissipate the heat while isolating the heat source to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation and cooling; Possess four core technologies of ultra-high heat-resistant and stable battery cells, super-insulated battery safety cabin, three-dimensional cooling system, and fifth-generation battery management system |
| Great Wall motor | Dayu battery | Aiming at the problem of thermal runaway, the core technology principle of “control + conduction = communication” is adopted to build a 4-layer 5-dimensional safety matrix, guarantee that “large-capacity high-nickel batteries”, “any position of the battery pack”, “heating two batteries and continuously triggering thermal runaway” can achieve no fire or explosion; Possess eight core technologies: heat source isolation, two-way commutation, heat flow distribution, directional explosion discharge, commercial temperature insulation, self-function fire extinguishing, positive pressure oxygen resistance, intelligent cooling |
| CALB | One-stop battery | Based on “highly integrated and extremely simplified” product design and manufacturing, the product’s requirements for “high specific energy, high safety, high reliability, and low cost” are realized. Its technical logic is characterized by modular poles and integrated electrical connection technology, which are also its main change points; Use multiple technologies to carry out multi-dimensional innovation at the cell level, production process and battery system level |
| Leapmotor | CTC scheme | Integrate the design of the battery and the chassis, redesign the battery carrying tray, couple the chassis structure of the entire lower body with the battery tray structure, and effectively reduce the number of parts by reducing redundant structural design. While improving the space utilization rate and system specific energy, the body and the battery structure are complementary, the impact resistance of the battery and the torsional rigidity of the body are greatly improved; the software and hardware realize double innovation and sustainable evolution |
| SAIC | Rubik’s Cube battery | Adopt LBS lying battery cells and advanced CTP technology, among which the layout of lying battery cells is the biggest technical feature of Rubik’s Cube battery; It has three advantages of ultra-high integration, ultra-long life, zero thermal runaway safety protection |
