In January, BYD announced that it would launch a "blade battery" based on lithium iron phosphate technology.
Following this, in February, news came out that Tesla will be using cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate batteries in its model 3.
Wannabe! At the very beginning of 2020, two of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the new energy automobile field coincidentally launched lithium iron phosphate, marking the lithium iron phosphate battery once again exploded with great prospects.
Different: different brands, different directions
In recent years, affected by the relevant national policies, ternary lithium batteries with the advantage of high energy density have been used more.
Tesla focuses on improving the energy density of lithium ternary batteries, and the high energy density has gradually revealed some unstable factors, with many fires occurring worldwide, triggering consumers' concerns about the reliability of new energy vehicles.
BYD has always adhered to the two-legged approach, lithium iron phosphate and lithium ternary **** as the main direction of the power battery. In BYD, safety is defined as the highest level, in the ternary lithium battery technology route, but also used a relatively conservative energy density program, no power battery safety accidents; and in the field of lithium iron phosphate technology, BYD has always been a leader, and has a wealth of experience in technology research and development and application accumulation.
The ternary lithium battery has become the new favorite with its high energy density, but the instability brought by the high energy density is also a cause for concern. Li-FePO4 battery technology has become more and more popular due to its higher stability.
Strategy: start the battery technology route change
At this moment, when the safety and life instead of energy density, become the new energy automobile industry's universal evaluation standard, once due to the lack of energy density for a short period of time "out of favor", but safer, more reliable lithium iron phosphate power battery also has more possibilities. Cutting-edge brands are beginning to rethink how to balance the relationship between energy density, charging efficiency and safety factor of the power battery.
When we return to the strategic choice behind the technology route, we have to wonder about BYD's strategic vision.
With a deep understanding of the industry and strategic foresight, BYD has taken the lead in delivering the answer of "blade battery" based on its world-leading lithium iron phosphate battery technology.
First: Battery safety
Whether in the new energy vehicles just emerged ten years ago, or the annual sales scale has exceeded 1.2 million units now, when consumers face the question of "which part of the purchase of electric vehicles is the most important", the answer given is always the battery. And battery safety is the most important.
According to the "New Energy Vehicle National Supervision Platform Big Data Safety Supervision Achievement Report", "from May to July 2019, the new energy vehicle national supervision platform **** found 79 safety accidents, involving 96 vehicles.
Reviewing the development of lithium batteries, cell phone batteries, computer batteries have also experienced this stage, and then with the development of industry safety standards, the battery safety problem has been alleviated and the quality has been controlled.
Inside BYD, battery safety is defined as the highest level. Even for ternary lithium batteries, BYD has chosen a relatively conservative energy density scheme, which has resulted in BYD's record of 0 accidents in power battery safety.
First: the core advantage of high safety and long life
According to BYD's official information and relevant patents, the so-called "blade battery" is actually a new generation of BYD's lithium iron phosphate batteries, also known as super lithium iron phosphate batteries. The reason why the name "blade battery", mainly because the arrangement of the electric core is like a "blade" like inserted into the battery pack, and the traditional power battery cell is different.
Based on lithium iron phosphate technology, the safety of the blade battery is greatly enhanced, its runaway temperature is much higher than the ternary lithium batteries, while the battery pack has a higher overall rigidity, resistance to deformation, resistance to extrusion and puncture ability is also stronger, the battery pack internal short-circuit chances are close to zero.
BYD's unique seven-dimensional, four-layer battery safety system has corresponding protective measures in each dimension and level. Among them, the four layers refer to monomer, module, battery pack and system, and the seven dimensions include reliable connection, high-voltage protection, collision, overcharging, short circuit and thermal runaway, which effectively protect the battery safety in all aspects.
Technology and system of two-pronged, BYD blade battery, is bound to once again define the new global power battery safety standards.
In addition to the service life of the battery cell, the blade battery also has an incomparable advantage over lithium ternary batteries. The number of battery cycles has increased dramatically, and the blade battery has a service life of more than 1 million kilometers, which multiplies the practicality of the entire vehicle.
First: Blade batteries will be carried on BYD Han models
Recently, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu announced that BYD's "Blade batteries" will be mass-produced at its Chongqing plant in March this year, and will be carried for the first time on the BYD Han EV, which will go on sale in June.
According to the catalog, the Han EV model offers single-motor and dual-motor versions with different configurations, and the dual-motor version has a maximum NEDC range of 605 kilometers, with an energy density of 140Wh/kg, which is slightly lower than that of the NCM811 (high nickel batteries) previously released by NDT and put into production last year. Energy density of 180Wh/kg, also lower than LG Chem, Panasonic motor and other mainstream overseas battery manufacturers to promote the product's highest system energy density of 150 ~ 180Wh/kg.
Help master said: lithium iron phosphate batteries compared to ternary lithium batteries have an inherent disadvantage in terms of energy density, which is also the ternary lithium batteries are becoming more and more popular for a large number of reasons. But compared to ternary lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries have high security, long service life and other advantages. Now the "blade battery" effectively weakened the low energy density of lithium iron phosphate battery shortcomings, the future prospects for application will be more broad. For BYD, lithium iron phosphate battery is its strong point, "blade battery" is bound to make it like a tiger with wings.
This article was written by the author of Automotive Home, and does not represent the viewpoint of Automotive Home.