Electric vehicle drivers and electric smartphone users have been repulsed by the prospect of silicon anode batteries, which promise dramatically increased energy density and shorter charging times.
Several companies have been working on silicon anodes for the past decade or so, and the technology is starting to make its way into consumer electronics. Wearables maker Whoop, for example, uses materials from Sila, while Group 14Its batteries can be found in a range of smartphones.
But the real prize is the EV market, which undercuts consumer electronics by an order of magnitude, according to Benchmark Minerals. However, to enter this space, startups need to produce silicon anode material in much larger quantities than they have been able to do so far.
To reach that scale, Group14 said Thursday it has started production at its BAM-3 plant in South Korea. The facility is capable of producing up to 2,000 metric tons of silicon battery materials per year, enough for 10 gigawatt-hours of energy storage or about 100,000 long-range electric vehicles.
“It’s a big deal for us, and I think it’s a big deal for the industry,” Rick Luebbe, co-founder and CEO of Group14, told TechCrunch.
The BAM-3 facility was started as a joint venture between Group14 and SK, the Korean battery manufacturer. SK owned 75% of the project but sold its stake to Group14 last summer.
“SK had its own challenges — financial and redefining battery and battery materials strategies at the same time,” Luebbe said. “It opened up a great opportunity for us to acquire it from SK.”
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The startup works with several companies, including Porsche’s battery division Cellforce Group, StoreDot, Molicel and Sionic. Porsche has also invested in Group14 through its venture arm.
Most modern batteries use carbon as the anode material. It works pretty well, but scientists have long known that silicon, which can store up to 10 times as many lithium ions, would be better for energy storage if they could just solve some nagging durability problems: Pure silicon anodes are prone to swelling and chipping in a short time, making them unsuitable for repeated charge cycles lasting several years.
Group 14’s answer is a hard carbon scaffold that holds the tiny silicon particles in place, preventing the anode from swelling or collapsing. This scaffold is channeled with nanoscale holes that allow lithium ions and electrons to pass through. It also helps the anode to charge quickly without breaking down.
Some of Group14’s customers, such as Sionic, use silicon anodes to increase energy density by up to 50%. Others, like Molicel, are focusing on using silicon’s fast-charging capabilities, including a design that can take a battery from empty to full in just 90 seconds.
This kind of application of silicon anodes could revolutionize the electric vehicle market. Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is already aiming to create this kind of capability: last week it unveiled a new battery that can charge from 10% to 70% in five minutes. (Luebbe is convinced BYD is using silicon-carbon in its new battery. “It has to be,” he said.)
If charging networks can accommodate such an EV, range anxiety would be a thing of the past. Today, automakers are trying to offer 300 miles to 400 miles of range mostly to assuage consumer concerns, but achieving those numbers requires large batteries that add bulk, weight and cost. Flash charging that can deliver substantial range in seconds could allow automakers to slim down battery packs, saving cost and weight.
“I have a Rivian with a 130 kilowatt-hour battery, which is outrageously expensive,” Luebbe said. But with flash charging, ideas like inductive charging in stop lights — which might seem outlandish today — are starting to become more feasible, he said. “You’d never think about charging again.”
