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Towards the next generation of high performance li-ion battery cells

Project description

New gellified cell concept for high-voltage applications

The lithium-ion battery (LIB) market is a rapidly growing industry that supplies rechargeable batteries for a wide range of applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles. The EU-funded NEXTCELL project aims to develop a groundbreaking gellified cell concept for high capacity and high-voltage LIBs. Led by the electric vehicle industry, with key industry manufacturers along the value chain involved, NEXTCELL’s approach will address three key parameters hindering the greater market penetration of LIBs: costs, safety and sustainability. The ultimate goal of the project is to fast-track the commercialisation of the novel cell design and its new components, providing Europe with cutting-edge third generation LIBs while meeting the industry’s increasing demands for cost reduction, user-friendliness, and safety.

Objective

The Li-ion battery (LIB) market is now entering a period where energy density improvements and cost reductions are levelling off for the current generation 3a. To continue with this trend while keeping pace with the increasing industry demands for cost reduction, user-friendliness of electric vehicles and safety, breakthrough innovations at material level and cell design are needed. Within this context, NEXTCELL overarching goal is to provide a new 3b LIB cell generation for both high capacity and high voltage applications developing and validating a ground-breaking gellified cell concept.
The project workplan revolves around a three dimension-based methodology: (i) Prototyping the gellified cell concept up to TRL6 (20Ah), (ii) Modelling the gellified cell concept, and (iii) Evaluation of technical, safety, sustainability, and costs improvements.
NEXTCELL’s approach will not only provide Europe with cutting edge 3b cells but will also tackle three key parameters hindering a greater market penetration of LIBs technology: (i) Costs: optimising its manufacturing processes, reducing capital and operating costs of future Giga-factories by avoiding evaporation of solvents and the electrolyte-filling step. (ii) Safety: Producing intrinsically safe cells, avoiding the presence of low boiling point components in cell components. (iii)  Sustainability: Reducing energy consumption by 50% against SoA and avoiding the use of toxic organic solvents (NMP).
The project is led by the electric vehicle industry, from the project coordination by FEV (leading vehicle and powertrain international service provider) to key industry manufacturers along the value chain, such as SOLVAY (polymer, binders, and separators), ABEE (cathode production), VARTA (LIB manufacturer) or CRF (research centre for the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group). Thus, NEXTCELL has a solid determination towards fast and successful commercialisation of the novel cell design and its new components after the project.

Coordinator

FEV EUROPE GMBH
Net EU contribution
€ 207 044,88
Address
NEUENHOFSTRASSE 181
52078 Aachen
Germany

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Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost
€ 495 565,13

Participants (19)