Power Pioneer Invents New Battery
That’s 90% Cheaper Than Lithium-Ion
That’s 90% Cheaper Than Lithium-Ion
By Pavel Alpeyev
July 8, 2020, 10:00 PM GMT+1
Lithium-ion batteries play a central role in the world of
technology, powering everything from smartphones to smart cars, and one of the
people who helped commercialize them says he has a way to cut mass production costs by 90% and significantly improve their
safety.
technology, powering everything from smartphones to smart cars, and one of the
people who helped commercialize them says he has a way to cut mass production costs by 90% and significantly improve their
safety.
Hideaki Horie, formerly of Nissan Motor Co., founded
Tokyo-based APB Corp. in 2018 to
make “all-polymer batteries” --
hence the company name. Earlier this year the company received backing from a group of Japanese firms
that includes general contractor Obayashi Corp., industrial equipment
manufacturer Yokogawa Electric Corp. and carbon fiber maker Teijin Ltd.
Tokyo-based APB Corp. in 2018 to
make “all-polymer batteries” --
hence the company name. Earlier this year the company received backing from a group of Japanese firms
that includes general contractor Obayashi Corp., industrial equipment
manufacturer Yokogawa Electric Corp. and carbon fiber maker Teijin Ltd.
“The problem with making lithium batteries now is that it’s device manufacturing like semiconductors,” Horie said in an
interview. “Our goal is to make it more like steel production.”
interview. “Our goal is to make it more like steel production.”
The making of a cell, every battery’s basic unit, is a
complicated process requiring cleanroom conditions -- with airlocks to
control moisture, constant air filtering and exacting precision to prevent
contamination of highly reactive materials. The setup can be so expensive that
a handful of top players like South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd., China’s CATL and
Japan’s Panasonic Corp. spend billions of dollars to build a suitable
factory.
complicated process requiring cleanroom conditions -- with airlocks to
control moisture, constant air filtering and exacting precision to prevent
contamination of highly reactive materials. The setup can be so expensive that
a handful of top players like South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd., China’s CATL and
Japan’s Panasonic Corp. spend billions of dollars to build a suitable
factory.
Horie’s innovation
is to replace the battery’s basic components -- metal-lined electrodes and
liquid electrolytes -- with a resin construction. He says this approach
dramatically simplifies and speeds up manufacturing, making it as easy as
“buttering toast.” It allows for 10-meter-long
battery sheets that can be stacked on top of each other “like seat
cushions” to increase capacity, he said. Importantly, the resin-based batteries
are also resistant to catching fire when punctured.
is to replace the battery’s basic components -- metal-lined electrodes and
liquid electrolytes -- with a resin construction. He says this approach
dramatically simplifies and speeds up manufacturing, making it as easy as
“buttering toast.” It allows for 10-meter-long
battery sheets that can be stacked on top of each other “like seat
cushions” to increase capacity, he said. Importantly, the resin-based batteries
are also resistant to catching fire when punctured.
In March, APB raised 8 billion yen ($74 million), which is
tiny by the wider industry’s standards but will be enough to fully equip one
factory for mass production slated to start next year. Horie estimates the
funds will get his plant in central
Japan to 1 gigawatt-hour capacity by 2023.
tiny by the wider industry’s standards but will be enough to fully equip one
factory for mass production slated to start next year. Horie estimates the
funds will get his plant in central
Japan to 1 gigawatt-hour capacity by 2023.
Lithium-ion batteries have come a long way since they were
first commercialized almost three decades ago. They last longer, pack more
power and cost 85% less than they did 10 years ago, serving as the quiet
workhorse driving the growth of smartphones and tablets with ever more powerful
internals. But safety remains an issue and batteries have been the cause of
fires in everything from Tesla Inc.’s cars to Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner jets and
Samsung Electronics Co.’s smartphones.
first commercialized almost three decades ago. They last longer, pack more
power and cost 85% less than they did 10 years ago, serving as the quiet
workhorse driving the growth of smartphones and tablets with ever more powerful
internals. But safety remains an issue and batteries have been the cause of
fires in everything from Tesla Inc.’s cars to Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner jets and
Samsung Electronics Co.’s smartphones.
“Just from the standpoint of physics, the lithium-ion
battery is the best heater humanity has ever created,” Horie said.
battery is the best heater humanity has ever created,” Horie said.
In a traditional battery, a puncture can create a surge
measuring hundreds of amperes, several times the current of electricity delivered
to an average home. Temperatures can then shoot up to 700 degrees Celsius.
APB’s battery avoids such cataclysmic conditions by using a so-called bipolar
design, doing away with present-day power bottlenecks and allowing the entire
surface of the battery to absorb surges.
measuring hundreds of amperes, several times the current of electricity delivered
to an average home. Temperatures can then shoot up to 700 degrees Celsius.
APB’s battery avoids such cataclysmic conditions by using a so-called bipolar
design, doing away with present-day power bottlenecks and allowing the entire
surface of the battery to absorb surges.
“Because of the many incidents, safety has been at the top
of mind in the industry,” said Mitalee Gupta, senior analyst for energy storage
at Wood Mackenzie. “This could be a breakthrough for both storage and electric
vehicle applications, provided that the company is able to scale up pretty
quickly.”
of mind in the industry,” said Mitalee Gupta, senior analyst for energy storage
at Wood Mackenzie. “This could be a breakthrough for both storage and electric
vehicle applications, provided that the company is able to scale up pretty
quickly.”
But the technology is not without its shortcomings. Polymers are not as conductive as metal and
this could significantly impact the battery’s carrying capacity, according to
Menahem Anderman, president of California-based Total Battery Consulting Inc.
One drawback of the bipolar design is that cells are connected back-to-back
in a series, making control of individual ones difficult, Anderman said. He
also questioned whether the cost savings will be sufficient to compete with the
incumbents.
this could significantly impact the battery’s carrying capacity, according to
Menahem Anderman, president of California-based Total Battery Consulting Inc.
One drawback of the bipolar design is that cells are connected back-to-back
in a series, making control of individual ones difficult, Anderman said. He
also questioned whether the cost savings will be sufficient to compete with the
incumbents.
“Capital is not killing the cost of a lithium-ion battery,”
Anderman said. “Lithium-ion with liquid electrolyte will remain the main
application for another 15 years or more. It’s not perfect and it isn’t cheap,
but beyond lithium-ion is a better lithium ion.”
Anderman said. “Lithium-ion with liquid electrolyte will remain the main
application for another 15 years or more. It’s not perfect and it isn’t cheap,
but beyond lithium-ion is a better lithium ion.”
Horie acknowledges that APB can’t compete with battery
giants who are already benefiting from economies of scale after investing
billions. Instead of targeting the “red ocean” of the automotive sector, APB
will first focus on stationary
batteries used in buildings, offices and power plants.
giants who are already benefiting from economies of scale after investing
billions. Instead of targeting the “red ocean” of the automotive sector, APB
will first focus on stationary
batteries used in buildings, offices and power plants.
That market will be worth $100 billion by 2025 worldwide,
more than five times its size last year, according to estimates by Wood
Mackenzie. The U.S. alone -- which together with China will be the main source
of increased energy storage demand -- is likely to see a 10-fold increase to $7
billion in the period.
more than five times its size last year, according to estimates by Wood
Mackenzie. The U.S. alone -- which together with China will be the main source
of increased energy storage demand -- is likely to see a 10-fold increase to $7
billion in the period.
Horie, 63, got his start with lithium-ion batteries at their
very beginning. In February 1990, early on in his Nissan career, he started the
automaker’s nascent research into electric and hybrid vehicles. A few weeks
later, Sony Corp. shocked the industry, which was betting on nickel-hydride
technology, by announcing plans to commercialize a lithium-ion alternative.
Horie says he immediately saw the promise and pushed for the two companies to
combine research efforts that same year.
very beginning. In February 1990, early on in his Nissan career, he started the
automaker’s nascent research into electric and hybrid vehicles. A few weeks
later, Sony Corp. shocked the industry, which was betting on nickel-hydride
technology, by announcing plans to commercialize a lithium-ion alternative.
Horie says he immediately saw the promise and pushed for the two companies to
combine research efforts that same year.
By 2000, however, Nissan was giving up on its battery
business, having just been rescued by Renault SA. Horie had one shot at
convincing his new boss Carlos Ghosn that electric vehicles were worth it.
After a 28-minute presentation, a visibly excited Ghosn proclaimed Horie’s work
an important investment and green-lit the project. Nissan’s Leaf would go on to become the best-selling EV for a
decade.
business, having just been rescued by Renault SA. Horie had one shot at
convincing his new boss Carlos Ghosn that electric vehicles were worth it.
After a 28-minute presentation, a visibly excited Ghosn proclaimed Horie’s work
an important investment and green-lit the project. Nissan’s Leaf would go on to become the best-selling EV for a
decade.
Horie came up with the idea for the all-polymer battery
while still at Nissan but wasn’t able to get institutional backing to make it
real. In 2012, while doing a teaching stint at the University of Tokyo, he was
approached by Sanyo Chemical Industries
Ltd., known for its superabsorbent materials used in diapers. Together, the
two developed the world’s first battery using a conductive gel polymer.
In 2018, Horie founded APB and Sanyo Chemical became one of his early
investors.
while still at Nissan but wasn’t able to get institutional backing to make it
real. In 2012, while doing a teaching stint at the University of Tokyo, he was
approached by Sanyo Chemical Industries
Ltd., known for its superabsorbent materials used in diapers. Together, the
two developed the world’s first battery using a conductive gel polymer.
In 2018, Horie founded APB and Sanyo Chemical became one of his early
investors.
APB has already lined up its first customer, a large
Japanese company whose niche and high-value-added products sell mostly
overseas, Horie said. He declined to give further details and said APB plans to
make the announcement as early as August.
Japanese company whose niche and high-value-added products sell mostly
overseas, Horie said. He declined to give further details and said APB plans to
make the announcement as early as August.
“This will be the proof that our batteries can be
mass-produced,” Horie said. “Battery makers have become assemblers. We are putting chemistry back into the lead role.”
mass-produced,” Horie said. “Battery makers have become assemblers. We are putting chemistry back into the lead role.”
— With assistance by Jason Clenfield, David Stringer, and
Daixin Li
Daixin Li
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