Nickel-Rich Layered Cathode Materials for Automotive Lithium-Ion Batteries: Achievements and Perspectives

TLDR

Electric vehicles must achieve at least 300‑mile ranges, demanding higher energy density while preserving rate capability, lifetime, cost, and safety, and nickel‑rich cathodes such as LiNi₁₋ₓ₋ᵧCoxAlyO₂ and LiNi₁₋ₓ₋ᵧCoxMnyO₂ will dominate the next decade. The study compares the potential and limitations of nickel‑rich cathodes against realistic automotive performance targets. The authors critically compare the cathode materials to industry target values. They demonstrate that fine control of structural and microstructural properties can enable future automotive targets.

Abstract

Future generations of electric vehicles require driving ranges of at least 300 miles to successfully penetrate the mass consumer market. A significant improvement in the energy density of lithium batteries is mandatory while also maintaining similar or improved rate capability, lifetime, cost, and safety. The vast majority of electric vehicles that will appear on the market in the next 10 years will employ nickel-rich cathode materials, LiNi1–x–yCoxAlyO2 and LiNi1–x–yCoxMnyO2 (x + y < 0.2), in particular. Here, the potential and limitations of these cathode materials are critically compared with reference to realistic target values from the automotive industry. Moreover, we show how future automotive targets can be achieved through fine control of the structural and microstructural properties.