However, the recent news that Tesla may adopt lithium iron phosphate battery and the news that BYD Han EV is equipped with "blade battery" have attracted everyone's attention to lithium iron phosphate battery. After years of silence, why can lithium iron phosphate batteries set off a storm at this time? I will decrypt it for everyone when I buy a car.
The battery cost is lower
Buying a car believes that Tesla wants to use the newly developed lithium iron phosphate battery, which is the price advantage of this battery.
Among the cathode materials, lithium iron phosphate battery uses LiFePO4, and ternary lithium battery uses Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (NCA) or Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM), hence the name of the battery. Because ternary lithium batteries contain an expensive cobalt element, the cost of ternary lithium batteries is higher than that of lithium iron phosphate batteries. According to statistics, by the end of 20 19, the unit price of ternary lithium batteries in China is 1.05 yuan /Wh, and that of lithium iron phosphate batteries is 0.8 yuan /Wh.
It is reported that Tesla's lithium iron phosphate battery will be provided by Contemporary Ampere Technology Co., Ltd.. If this matter goes ahead smoothly, Tesla's battery cost is expected to be reduced by at least 10%. After realizing domestic production, Tesla has been promoting the localization of parts, and this change of battery type is undoubtedly the most important part.
Previously, Tesla domestic models? 3. Reduce the price to 299,050 yuan, and let the car circle wow. I believe this move will further reduce the living space of independent new energy vehicles. Now, the reduction of battery cost will undoubtedly make this car have more room for price reduction, and the further improvement of competitiveness will bring greater pressure to opponents.
Increased energy density
In fact, the cost of lithium iron phosphate battery has always been advantageous, and the reason why Tesla and BYD wait until now to use it on their own heavy models is inseparable from the improvement of battery energy density.
In previous years, the energy density of lithium iron phosphate battery cells was about 120- 140Wh/kg, and the energy density after packaging was about 90- 100Wh/kg, which was obviously different from Tesla 2 1700 battery (ternary lithium battery).
With the emergence of CTP technology, lithium iron phosphate batteries can provide endurance comparable to ternary lithium batteries. For example, BYD Han EV is equipped with a self-developed "blade battery". This latest lithium iron phosphate battery can provide 605 kilometers of NEDC cruising range for vehicles, reaching the mainstream cruising standard of ternary lithium batteries. In addition to BYD, Contemporary Ampere Technology Co., Ltd. also applies CTP technology to the production of lithium iron phosphate batteries, and it is expected that Tesla will be supplied in the future.
In the past, power batteries were composed of modules and then assembled into battery packs. The last battery pack usually contains dozens of battery modules. CTP (cell? Where to? Pack) refers to the direct packaging technology of battery, which reduces the number of modules or even removes modules, thus improving the energy density of battery system. Moreover, due to the reduction of production steps, the battery packaging rate is also greatly improved, further reducing the cost.
It is worth mentioning that thanks to the improvement of the energy density of the battery system, BYD Han EV can also enjoy new energy subsidies. According to the national subsidy policy of 20 19, the energy density of subsidized vehicle battery system is not lower than 125Wh/kg, while that of Han EV battery system is 140Wh/kg, which meets the requirements.
At present, battery manufacturers such as BYD and Li Shen have been able to mass-produce lithium iron phosphate batteries, and the energy density of batteries has reached 190Wh/kg (expected to reach 220Wh/kg). Although the energy density of the packaging system will be reduced, the cruising range is not inferior to the battery system composed of ternary lithium batteries.
Better security
In addition to lower cost, and the endurance provided by the battery pack is not inferior to that of ternary lithium battery, car buyers think that the excellent safety performance of lithium iron phosphate battery is also an important reason why it is favored by automobile manufacturers.
The experimental data show that the spontaneous combustion temperature of lithium iron phosphate battery is 800℃, while that of ternary lithium battery is 200℃. Obviously, it is difficult for vehicles equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries to spontaneously ignite, which is an unparalleled natural advantage of ternary lithium batteries. In addition, lithium iron phosphate battery is not easy to explode in the face of impact or puncture injury, which can effectively protect the life safety of vehicle drivers and passengers in collision traffic accidents.
At present, cruising range and battery safety are two key factors that hinder the popularization of pure electric vehicles. When lithium iron phosphate battery can provide users with satisfactory cruising range, reduce the cost of the whole vehicle, and even fully guarantee the safety of people in the car, it will be more likely to be recognized by the market.
It is unrealistic to completely replace ternary lithium batteries.
Although the energy density of lithium iron phosphate battery has been obviously improved, it has the characteristics of low cost, high safety and long cycle life, but the poor charging performance, poor low temperature resistance and the difficulty in leaping development of battery energy density will still be obstacles to the popularization of this battery.
In the declaration catalogue of the second batch of new energy products of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2020, the models equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries are 1 1, and the maximum energy density of the battery system is 140Wh/kg, while the maximum energy density of the ternary lithium battery system is 180Wh/kg. It can be seen that even with CTP technology, the system energy density of lithium iron phosphate battery is still difficult to exceed that of ternary lithium battery.
In short, even if the battery life of lithium iron phosphate battery is equivalent to that of ternary lithium battery, it is still difficult for lithium iron phosphate battery to completely replace ternary lithium battery in the face of consumers who are endlessly eager for long battery life, but it is certain that more products will be equipped with brand-new lithium iron phosphate battery in the future.
Thanks to the improvement of system endurance, lithium iron phosphate battery has once again become an alternative energy source for many car companies. Although it can't really replace ternary lithium batteries, it can bring consumers pure electric products with high endurance and higher cost performance, and meet the green travel needs of more people. But whether it is lithium ferrous phosphate or ternary lithium battery, they are only relatively suitable choices at this stage. When they face the upcoming solid-state batteries, I am afraid there is not much room for resistance.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.