(Elbil24): LFP batteries (lithium-iron-phosphate) are something we see in more and more cars, but preferably of the more affordable variety.
One disadvantage of this battery chemistry versus the more common NMC batteries (nickel-manganese-cobalt) is that the energy density is lower – i.e. where you get fewer kilowatt-hours of energy storage per litre/kilo. At the same time, they are also cheaper to produce.
For example, LFP batteries are used in the entry-level models of the Tesla Model 3 and Y, while the long range versions have NMC batteries.
Will halve the price this year
Clinks to
Now the world’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL, believes that LFP no longer needs to be associated with short range. Their new battery, Shenxing Plus, was presented at the Shanghai motor show this week, where the manufacturer promises a range of more than 1,000 km.
– This will be the world’s first LFP battery that can boast such a good range, said CTO Gao Huan during the opening of the fair, according to Reuters.
It is an improvement from the first edition, launched last year, which could offer 700 km. The latter can already be found in four car models in China, but there will be 50 during the year.
We have to emphasize that these kilometers are probably about range according to the Chinese CLTC measurement method, which is by far the kindest, and that this battery is unlikely to go 100 miles on a cold January day in Norway.
Check that charging speed!
60 miles in 10 minutes
And not only that – the Shenxing Plus battery must be able to be charged with an output of up to 4 C (four times the capacity in one hour), so that a top-up corresponding to a range of 600 km will take place in just ten minutes.
In other words, this means that the battery charges the equivalent of one kilometer per second!
LFP batteries are considered safer and they degrade more slowly than NMC batteries. Below you can see, for example, how it went when Elbil24 got to see a penetration test of BYD’s Blade battery – also of the LFP type:
On cars with LFP batteries, it is recommended to fully charge the battery, and not just to 80 percent. They are also more environmentally friendly, partly because they do not contain metals such as cobalt, which are in short supply.
