Technology: BMW is working on the battery cell of the future - The battery double pack
BMW i5 / i7, ix and i4 - the current electric vehicles are powered by fifth-generation battery cells. When the vehicles of the so-called new class roll out to customers from 2025, they will not only have a platform for purely electric models, but also sixth-generation battery cells. These new cells will not only mean a switch from prismatic to round cells, but also 30 percent more range and 30 percent faster charging with 60 percent less CO2 emissions. "At the beginning of the process, we really started with a blank sheet of paper and were open to all cell formats and sizes," explains Kurt Vandeputte at BMW Head of Battery Cell Technology, "but given the ambitious targets in terms of performance and safety, we soon came to the conclusion that the round cell is the best format for our next generation. It also fits best with our integration approach for the new class."
BMW is currently setting up an initial process development line with its technology partner Solid Power at the battery center in Parsdorf near Munich. "On this line - in parallel with our partner in the USA - we will work on the next steps to bring this advanced battery technology into the vehicle," adds Kurt Vandeputte, "the line will go into operation in the second quarter of 2024." While the new, sixth generation of battery cells is making its way into vehicles such as the upcoming BMW 3 Series or the iX3 as models in the new class, customers will still have to be patient before vehicles with solid-state batteries are on the road. "That will take some time," says Peter Lamp, who has been responsible for batteries at BMW for many years, "but realistically we will need a few more years before the technology is fully developed and ready for industrialization - this will probably only be the case towards the end of the decade."
What is possible with a solid state battery was recently demonstrated by the prototype of a BMW iX, which was on the road with a specially developed battery pack from cooperation partner One (Our Next Energy) from Michigan. The electric luxury SUV managed more than 978 kilometers on a single charge thanks to the Gemini battery installed in the underbody. This Gemini battery contains two different technologies in one package. The first part of the battery consists of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell, which provides for the first 240 kilometers and should therefore cover daily journeys. For longer distances, there is the second part of the battery pack, which uses anode-free cells with a particularly high energy density and, in the case of the iX prototype, contributes a further 700 kilometers of long-distance potential.
"The more than 600 miles (960 km) that the BMW iX has achieved with Gemini is an impressive demonstration," says Jürgen Hildinger, Head of High-Voltage Storage at BMW Group, "we are happy to work with the ONE team and look forward to the next steps together." A two-part battery like the one from Our Next Energy is currently still in the prototype phase because the service life is currently still significantly shorter than that of LFP cells. In addition, the cells cannot deliver as much power to the electric motor and cannot absorb it again as quickly - for example during regenerative braking. The Gemini technology from the one-start-up not only offers a greater range, but also reduces lithium consumption by up to 20 percent, graphite consumption by 60 percent and minimizes the use of nickel and cobalt. The current Gemini battery from the BMW iX has an output of more than 185 kWh and weighs an impressive 710 kilograms with a volume of 411 liters. Maximum output: 345 kW / 469 hp. This is unlikely to remain the case with the upcoming development steps.
Read also:
- BMW's upcoming electric vehicles, such as the BMW i5 and iX, will utilize the sixth-generation battery cells, which will be developed in Munich, where BMW is currently working in collaboration with technology partner Solid Power.
- The future of BMW's battery cells is focused on solid-state technology, and the company is making significant progress in this area, as demonstrated by the BMW iX prototype that covered over 978 kilometers on a single charge with a Gemini battery from One (Our Next Energy).
- BMW is committed to reducing the environmental impact of their vehicles, aiming for a 30% increase in range and 30% faster charging with 60% less CO2 emissions through the adoption of round battery cells in their sixth-generation vehicles.
Source: www.stern.de
