Innolith, a European developer of Li-ion battery cell technologies, announces the commercialisation of its I-State battery technology platform for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and e-mobility applications.
Using an entirely new battery chemistry, I-State will cut EV costs and increase vehicle range through a high energy density of 300 Wh/kg (NMC811/Graphite) while improving both safety and performance. This is made possible through its high voltage, high conductivity, non-flammable electrolyte that also enables an improved temperature range of -40o to +60o.
Innolith’s I-State platform is well suited for applications that require both high energy and high power. This is achievable due to the electrolyte’s exceptionally high conductivity, up to four times that of conventional Li-ion electrolytes. This combination of high power, high energy and improved safety means the I-State platform is able to offer a significant improvement over conventional Li-ion and is suitable for the most demanding applications.
The I-State platform has been developed by Innolith, the only European inorganic lithium battery research & development company, and will be manufactured through licensing partnerships with automotive, industrial and battery companies with further details to be announced.
To support its ongoing licensing negotiations, the company has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with five customers for a production requirement of 100 MWh per year.
The MOUs are for applications across the off-road, aviation and mining sectors, and include an agreement with Xerotech, a leader in battery pack technology for heavy-duty non-road mobile machinery, to develop battery packs for the electrification of a wide range of applications. In the automotive sector, Innolith is working closely with three of the 10 largest car companies and has recently signed an MOU with one of the leading EV manufacturers.
The I-State cells use an entirely new battery technology based on an innovative liquid inorganic electrolyte that can operate at higher voltages than traditional Li-ion battery cells. The higher voltage of the cells enables higher utilization of cathode capacity through usage of nearly 100% of available Lithium vs 80% for Li-ion, over many stable cycles, and at high charge and discharge rates.
The I-State higher voltage enables a significant reduction of cathode metals used in the cell, helping EV manufacturers to cut costs and produce vehicles that are closer to the cost of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. The 20% reduction of lithium, cobalt and nickel will help alleviate environmental and sourcing concerns, while typically reducing the weight of an EV battery pack by 7% to 8%.
Innolith further announces that I-State enables stable cycling of Manganese containing cathodes with reduced content of expensive Nickel. The company is developing LMR (Mn-rich NMC) and LNMO chemistries jointly with several large and well-known partners in the market.
Additionally, Innolith further announces that new technologies based on the I-State platform are in development to provide for both increased EV range with 350-400 Wh/kg energy densities, and for lower-cost EVs with lower CO2 footprint due to reduced use of expensive green metals versus existing commercial cells in the market.
To complete a full range of technology development options, I-State is proven as a platform for development of LFMP and Na-based cells, where the first patent applications have been made by Innolith already in 2020-2022.