A new revolution is about to begin in the field of battery technology. South Korea’s LG Energy has accelerated the process of manufacturing prototypes of bipolar batteries. There are plans to set up a new research and development production line in the city of Daejeon, South Korea in the first quarter of 2025. This bipolar battery technology claims to double the energy density compared to conventional unipolar batteries, and its size will also be significantly smaller.
What are bipolar batteries?
Currently, used unipolar batteries have separate positive and negative electrodes and current collectors for each cell. In contrast, bipolar batteries have a single current collector that acts for both the positive and negative electrodes. This reduces the need for external joints and inert materials, and also reduces the battery’s internal resistance.
Toyota’s contribution and competition
Toyota reinvented the technology in 2021 by using bipolar nickel-metal hydride batteries in its ‘Aqua’ gasoline-electric car. This increased energy density by increasing the number of battery cells by 1.4 times in the same volume. Toyota claims that bipolar batteries can increase battery life by 20% and reduce manufacturing costs by up to 40% in cars like the ‘bZ4X’.
But LG Energy is preparing to get ahead in this race. The company aims to complete trial production and secure orders from car manufacturers before 2026.
Challenges and future
However, bipolar batteries are also associated with some technical problems.
- Material compatibility: The material of the bipolar current collector is difficult to adjust according to cost and demand.
- Electrolyte leakage: The current collector also acts as the battery casing, making it challenging to seal it completely.
- Design challenges: Lithium batteries undergo changes in crystal structure and volume during charging and discharging, which can damage the current collector.
What is the solution?
Experts believe that the use of solid electrolyte can solve these challenges. The combination of solid-state batteries and bipolar structure can be a big step forward in battery technology.
This announcement by LG Energy has raised a new hope in the battery industry. Experts say that this prototype of bipolar batteries can prove to be a game-changer for electric vehicles, ships and aircraft. However, in the long term it remains to be seen whether this technology proves to be sustainable and economical in actual use.
- Toyota’s plans: Toyota is preparing to start production of bipolar lithium batteries in 2026-2027.
- LG Energy’s goal: Working towards developing prototypes and starting the production process by the end of 2025.
- Market outlook: Many other companies are also investing in solid-state batteries and bipolar technology, which could further intensify competition in this sector.
Bipolar batteries could usher in a significant revolution in battery technology. However, this requires extensive research and development. It will be interesting to see how quickly companies like LG Energy and Toyota bring this technology to market.
