Research Articles

This article discusses battery innovations in China and the role next-generation battery technologies play in improving battery performance and in enabling Europe and North America to build competitive battery industries.

The global market for Li-ion battery cells alone is forecast to exceed US$400 billion by 2035. This article highlights the importance of cathode materials and next-generation Li-ion technologies in improving battery performance and diversifying Li-ion battery material supply chains.

This article provides an introduction into the key silicon anode materials being developed for Li-ion battery anodes, including silicon oxides, silicon-carbon composites, and 100% silicon anodes. These silicon anode technologies aim to improve battery performance whilst overcoming the poor cycle life historically typical for silicon anode materials.

There has been a slowdown in the growth of EV sales in Europe and North America. There are numerous reasons for this, including a lack of models and a difficult economic environment, but better and cheaper batteries and higher-performing EVs remain critical to convincing consumers to purchase them. Longer ranges, faster charging times and stable performance in colder weather could be important to accelerating the outlook for BEVs, and Li-ion batteries using silicon-based anodes offer one route to achieving this.

Due to the need for higher energy density and faster charging battery technologies, the battery electric car market will be the primary driver behind silicon anode material adoption. Numerous companies, from start-ups to established materials companies and industrials are expanding their capabilities to meet the growing demand for silicon anode material. IDTechEx estimates that silicon anode material production capacity is due to expand 6.5x from 2024 to 2030.

The Li-ion industry continues to innovate to reach higher energy densities, faster charge and higher rate capabilities, longer lifetimes, lower costs, and lower environmental impact from their production to better meet the demands of the markets and applications reliant on battery and energy storage technology.

IDTechEx forecasts the global Li-ion market to reach over US$400 billion by 2035. This article explores the key material trends shaping the Li-ion battery market, particularly the rise of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and shifts in graphite material.

In this article, IDTechEx Research Director Dr Alex Holland takes a look at the falling battery costs and how this will affect the Li-ion battery market long term.

While there has been strong growth in the stationary battery sector, electric vehicles remain the key driver behind the Li-ion market, and electric cars will be the largest market for Li-ion batteries over the next 10 years. Although there are some regional concerns over the rate of EV adoption in 2024, sales of electric vehicles grew rapidly in 2022 and 2023, and the medium-long-term outlook for EV adoption remains strong.

Improving the performance and reducing the cost of Li-ion batteries have been primary concerns for the Li-ion battery industry over the past 10-15 years. The environmental and societal implications of Li-ion battery production and deployment have come under increasing scrutiny, along with concerns regarding supply chain concentration.

Maximizing energy density has been one key area of focus in electric vehicle battery development. Optimizations in cell and battery pack designs, alongside the use of higher nickel NMC and NCA cathodes, have led to steady improvement in battery energy density over the past 10-15 years.

IDTechEx forecast the market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cells to be worth US$380 billion by 2034, driven by advancements in technology and rapidly growing demand. While Li-ion batteries have been the dominant technology for electronic devices, electric vehicles (EV), and stationary energy storage systems, alternative battery technologies and chemistries continue to garner interest.

The electrification of cars has undeniably been at the forefront of the transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the growth in demand for Li-ion batteries, but the electric revolution extends far beyond passenger cars. Huge opportunities exist in other transport applications, which play a vital role in ongoing decarbonization efforts.

IDTechEx forecast the Li-ion battery market for electric vehicles to reach US$380 billion by 2034. With this huge increase in value, the safe and reliable operation of these (sometimes combustible) assets while maximizing the performance extracted from them becomes critical. The battery management system (BMS) plays a central role in the safe and reliable operation of Li-ion batteries but is somewhat overlooked with regard to its potential for also moving battery performance forward.

Si prevede che il mercato globale delle batterie agli ioni di litio per veicoli elettrici raggiungerà oltre 380 miliardi di dollari entro il 2034, trainato principalmente dalla domanda di auto elettriche a batteria, ma con una rapida crescita anche in altri settori, tra cui furgoni elettrici, camion, autobus, veicoli a due ruote e fuoristrada.

There continues to be lots of excitement regarding new Li-ion anode technologies. The next generation of silicon anode materials are inching closer to commercialization with the promise of improved energy density and rate capability.

The clean hydrogen market is poised for growth, driven by decarbonization efforts and concerns around energy security. A number of ambitious targets and roadmaps are being set out by different governments and regions. Clean hydrogen can refer to a number of routes for producing hydrogen, but the primary among them are green and blue hydrogen.

IDTechEx prevede che il mercato degli elettrolizzatori ad acqua crescerà fino a oltre 120 miliardi di dollari entro il 2033. C'è stato un rinnovato interesse per lo sviluppo di industrie dell'idrogeno pulite e verdi.

Given the rapid increase in forecast demand for Li-ion batteries, there has been significant growth in the number of gigafactories being planned and announced over the past 2-3 years. IDTechEx analysis shows that current plans and announcements for new cell production capacity will reach 3 TWh by 2030.

IDTechEx forecast the Li-ion market to grow to over US$430 billion by 2033, driven by demand for electric vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) remain the key driver behind the Li-ion market, and electric cars will be the largest market for Li-ion batteries over the next ten years.

Rapid growth in the Li-ion market is expected over the next ten years. IDTechEx forecast the Li-ion battery market will reach over US$430 billion by 2033. Electric vehicles (EV) and transportation will represent the largest market. By 2033, battery electric cars will constitute over 90% of Li-ion demand, by GWh, by 2030.

The current iteration of Li-ion batteries, which are based on graphite anodes, liquid electrolytes, and cathode materials such as NMC and LFP, are generally considered to be reaching their performance limits. However, from cell materials to battery designs, there are still several routes that can lead to further improvements in performance and cost.

Mentre le batterie agli ioni di litio rimangono la scelta dominante per i dispositivi di consumo, i veicoli elettrici e lo stoccaggio stazionario per ora, l'importanza dei prodotti chimici delle batterie non al litio è destinata a crescere notevolmente nei prossimi 10 anni, soprattutto nel settore dello stoccaggio stazionario dell'energia. Entro il 2025, IDTechEx prevede che >10% del mercato stazionario sarà rappresentato da prodotti chimici non al litio, da <5% nel 2021.

Li-ion batteries are beginning to hit their performance ceiling, especially with regards to energy density. However, a shift in the anode materials used, namely to silicon or lithium-metal anodes, could provide a stepwise improvement to energy density. Their promise can be highlighted by looking at the high number of early-stage companies primarily developing anode materials, most being focussed on silicon, compared to other areas of Li-ion development.

L'interesse commerciale per gli anodi di silicio e gli investimenti in aziende start-up è continuato fino al 2021 - IDTechEx stima che 1,9 miliardi di dollari di finanziamenti si sono fatti strada nelle start-up di anodi di silicio. Oltre agli investimenti, c'è stata anche una maggiore attività per quanto riguarda le aziende che iniziano a concedere in licenza le tecnologie, entrare in rapporti di fornitura o commercializzare le tecnologie nei mercati early adopter, evidenziando che la promessa della tecnologia degli anodi di silicio potrebbe presto essere realizzata.

To date, Li-ion batteries have been the go-to technology for vehicle electrification and new stationary energy storage systems. However, the supply chain for Li-ion production is coming under increasing scrutiny with bottlenecks feasible during the second half of the 2020s, creating a potential opportunity for alternative battery chemistries not reliant on lithium, cobalt, or nickel.

Le tecnologie di stoccaggio dell'energia stanno subendo una trasformazione impegnativa, vitale in un clima emergente che richiede sempre più energie rinnovabili e hardware riciclabile. Coprendo un ampio portafoglio di tecnologie di immagazzinamento dell'energia, la loro storia e le loro prospettive per il futuro, IDTechEx esamina come il settore dell'immagazzinamento dell'energia si è comportato nell'ultimo anno e dove è diretto per il prossimo.

With the growing momentum behind the electric vehicle market comes an added importance of understanding the Li-ion batteries that power them, the variety of design choices available, and trends in their implementation.

The resilience of global electric vehicle (EV) sales during 2020 provided some optimism as to the maturing state of the electric vehicle market. However, sales are still primarily underpinned by government policy, and improvements in cost and performance to Li-ion cells and packs, not to forget other aspects of the vehicle or grid infrastructure, are needed for widespread adoption.

Limits on the amount of bioethanol and biodiesel that can be blended with conventional fossil fuels mean growth in the consumption of certain biofuels has slowed considerably over the past 5 years. However, with CO2 targets becoming increasingly stringent, and some sectors being difficult to electrify, alternative fuels are likely to still be needed over the coming years.

In this article IDTechEx provides commentary on the reference during Volkswagen's recent Power Day to their long-term strategy of employing high-manganese cathodes for their 'volume segment'. What does 'high-manganese' refer to, and how do they compare to other cathode materials?

Growth in global energy consumption has caused CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to rise, in turn causing an increase in average global temperatures. The combustion of fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gas, has been a key driver behind this, providing the underlying driver for the production and use of non-fossil alternative fuels that can help reduce emissions.

Energy storage technologies have undergone several years of sustained growth stemming from progress in markets such as consumer devices and the quest for decarbonization kick-starting growth in electric vehicle (EV) and stationary energy storage demand.

The European Commission (EC) has proposed stricter regulations regarding the sustainability of batteries.

What are the options for moving away from cobalt containing cathodes?

Li-ion batteries are starting to near their performance ceiling. Delving into the trends being seen in patent applications and filings can provide insight into the key areas of innovation in Li-ion batteries and the areas of development favored by key players.