Innolith, a European developer of Li-ion battery cell technologies, has begun the commercialization of its I-State battery technology platform for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and e-mobility applications. The company says that 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 -40 ËšCÂ to +60 ËšC.
The Innolith proprietary liquid inorganic electrolyte can operate at up to 5 volts without degradation, unlike the Li-ion batteries in use today that are limited to 4.2 volts. This gives the batteries higher gravimetric energy density of 300 Wh/kg and volumetric energy density of 825 Wh/L.
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 company says.
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 said that I-State enables stable cycling of manganese containing cathodes with reduced content of 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.
In addition to a high energy cell, Innolith has recently developed a high power cell on the same I-State platform. Development of the high-power cell that still retains exceptional energy density was possible due to the high conductivity of the I-State electrolyte (up to four times that of conventional Li-ion electrolyte).
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 Innolith I-State technology meets the charge, discharge and cycle life requirements of the major EV manufacturers and has been evaluated by leading testing and validation organisations as well as multiple automotive and battery OEMs and end-user companies across a number of industries. In addition to its use for EVs, Innolith will be marketing its I-State technology for applications in aviation, construction, mining, marine, rail and industrial sectors.
The I-State platform will be manufactured through licensing partnerships with automotive, industrial and battery companies with further details to be announced.