A new generation of cheaper batteries is sweeping the EV industry

A significant shift is underway in the electric-car segment. No, I’m not talking about the shift to EVs. That’s still progressing despite a few manufacturers getting cold feet. What I’m referring to here is a subtle change in the makeup of EV batteries that carries some significant implications.

A type of lithium-ion battery called lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, is becoming increasingly prevalent in EVs around the world. Manufacturers like Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Tesla, and others are now offering these packs as an alternative to, or an outright replacement for, the nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) chemistries that have dominated for years. While LFP cells made up just 6 percent of the market in 2020, they’ve now jumped to roughly 30 percent.

What do all these obscure elements — and dizzying series of acronyms — really mean, and what’s the significance for the vehicles that will hit the road over the next few years? Let’s dig into the details.

It’s all in the cathode

First, a quick primer on how lithium-ion batteries work (for a deeper dive, check out our in-depth explainer).

Batteries have three major components: anode, cathode, and electrolyte. When there’s a draw created in an electrical circuit — for example, when you press your EV’s ​“on” button — a chemical reaction occurs within the battery. Negative ions travel between anode and cathode, across the electrolyte, to generate current. It’s the cathode that determines the battery’s behavior, including its temperature resilience, energy density, and overall lifespan.

When we talk about lithium-ion chemistries, we’re really talking about the materials that make up the cathode, which in an LFP battery is literally lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). More significant, though, is what’s missing from an LFP cathode.

LFP batteries have a few key advantages, but for anyone who’s concerned about the environmental and ethical impact of EV ownership, the primary benefit is that LFP batteries do not contain materials like nickel, manganese, or cobalt.

These minerals are problematic in numerous ways. Mining them takes a heavy environmental toll, damaging local ecologies in areas that lack regulations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar. This has devastated local communities and led to the exploitation of their workers.

LFP batteries also cost significantly less. According to BloombergNEF’s analysis, LFP cells, on average, are 32 percent cheaper than NMC cells. Sunoj George, director of battery engineering and propulsion architecture at Rivian, said that his company has seen savings of 20 to 30 percent with LFP. In September, LFP batteries fell below $60 per kilowatt-hour, helping drive global battery cell prices to a record low.

LFP batteries are also more resilient, resulting in a longer lifespan. This means that vehicles with an LFP battery can handle more charge-discharge cycles before the battery begins to lose capacity, making EVs well-suited for fleets and other applications requiring frequent recharges.

This resilience also helps these batteries handle extreme temperatures. ​“LFP offers more thermal stability than ternary [three-part] battery systems like NCM or NCA,” Rivian’s George said. So battery fires are less of a concern for LFP-powered cars.

If LFP batteries have all those advantages, why aren’t they in every single EV? Sadly, they have some significant downsides.

The biggest is energy density. An LFP battery will offer fewer kilowatt-hours of capacity for a given weight and volume. This means fewer miles of outright range on a charge. That’s offset somewhat by the faster charging mentioned above, so for frequent, short trips, this is less of an issue. But, since so many consumers still look at maximum range before any other factor, this is a potential strike against LFP-powered cars.

Another issue is poor cold-weather performance. LFP-powered EVs lose more of their maximum range when the battery is cold and can even struggle to recharge in low temperatures.

But there are ways to address this. Rivian’s George says that the company’s ​“thermal conditioning system” makes it so that ​“the customer should not see any perceivable difference” between LFP’s cold-weather performance and that of NCM or NCA batteries.

Finally, while LFP batteries cost less to manufacture, they are also worth less when recycling. ​“There is less inherent metal value in an LFP pack versus a nickel-based pack,” said Jackson Switzer, VP of commercial at Redwood Materials. Less value potentially means less motivation to recycle these batteries, but the good news is that they’re just as easily recyclable.

So it’s a give-and-take, but manufacturers are increasingly deciding that the trade-offs are worthwhile, especially in their fleet applications.

Mercedes-Benz selected LFP cells for its new eSprinter van. ​“Cell degradation is lower than other batteries, ensuring durability and low maintenance requirements at the very same time as well. It’s ideal for light commercial vehicles,” said Klaus Rehkugler, head of sales and marketing at Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Lisa Drake, VP of EV programs and energy supply chain at Ford, said that as EV-charging stations become more widespread, LFP cells will make more sense: ​“People are more willing to accept shorter trips, smaller trips, but they want to [charge] more often. And they want to fast-charge more often. And LFP battery technology allows them to do that.”

The same is true for personal-use vehicles. Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Concept CLA Class last year, a small, next-generation electric sedan to debut next year. Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer at Mercedes-Benz, said that the company will offer different battery technologies. ​“We need to split, so that’s an entry version with an LFP battery with a smaller range. In terms of kilometers, it could be 500 kilometers [311 miles] on this CLA Class car,” he said. ​“But on the upper end, you could opt for more horsepower, for more range.” The performance-oriented version, then, would rely on non-LFP design.

Going forward, LFP is projected to continue to gain momentum. An April report from BloombergNEF points to a continual increase in LFP production in China by major suppliers like CATL, along with expanding output from manufacturers elsewhere in the world, like LG Energy Solution in South Korea.

Given LFP batteries’ durability and cost advantages, Ford’s Drake believes that lining up an LFP supply will be vital for manufacturers: ​“If you don’t have LFP in your fleet, I don’t know how you will really scale.”

Correction: This article has been updated to fix two instances in which a cathode was mistakenly referred to as an anode. We regret the error