Evaluation of LiFePO<inf>4</inf> batteries for Electric Vehicle applications

Abstract

In the last few years, several Li-ion battery technologies have been studied and developed for its use in Electric Vehicles (EVs). Among these, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries are considered a promising battery technology for EVs, due to its key advantages, such as cycle life, efficiency and reliability, to name a few. This work evaluates 5 commercial LFP batteries, studied under various testing scenarios, including cycle life, energy efficiency, power capability or internal resistance test. The obtained results are compared with the long-term U.S. Advanced Consortium (USABC) goals, in order to validate the feasibility of this technology for its use in EVs. We found that although the batteries successfully met some important USABC goals, there are still several technical challenges to be addressed, such as the increase of the energy density or the reduction of its final cost.