Specialist
Former Engineer at Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL)
Agenda
- NCA (nickel cobalt aluminate) battery R&D process and commercialisation outlook
- NCA vs NCM (nickel cobalt manganese) batteries – mileage and costs
- NCA batteries’ security guarantee measures
- NCA vs NCM batteries – manufacturing process, key challenges and production line differences
- Chinese manufacturers’ NCA battery development strategies and outlook
Questions
1.
Can you comment on the status of NCA (nickel cobalt aluminate) batteries? How is the NCA battery R&D progress of domestic manufacturers? What are the major problems they have encountered?
2.
What factors have driven the emergence of NCA batteries?
3.
How does the nickel content of an NCA battery gradually increase? Why do Panasonic’s NCA batteries contain more nickel? If the nickel content of NCA batteries continues to increase, will they have an advantage over the conventional ternary batteries with 60% or 80% of nickel?
4.
How much nickel does an NCA battery need to achieve the capacity of the NCM 811 battery?
5.
Can you predict the market share or penetration rate of NCA batteries in the next 3-5 years, including the better and worse possibilities? What will be the driving force for the growth of NCA batteries’ market share?
6.
Why don’t other auto manufacturers choose NCA batteries? Are there security or cost issues?
7.
Although LFP batteries have some disadvantages in mileage, after process improvement, people are optimistic about its installed capacity in 2021. Compared with ternary batteries with 60% or 80% nickel content, what performance and cost level can BYD’s Blade Battery achieve?
8.
Given that the cost of a traditional NCM battery is going down, can you compare the cost per kilowatt hour of an NCA battery with an NCM battery with 80% nickel?
9.
How much will the cost of ternary batteries of 80% nickel drop in the next 3-5 years? How will it be reduced?
10.
Can you describe the advantages and disadvantages of manganese-based and nickel-based cobalt-free batteries?
11.
Does it mean manganese-based materials have a bigger chance to be applied or be the mainstream materials used to make cobalt-free batteries?
12.
The so-called “silicon-doped lithium supplement battery cell” technology applied in IM Motors’ many vehicles has been frequently mentioned. Could you explain the technology and introduce its outlook?
13.
Do you think the “silicon-doped lithium supplement battery cell” technology will become a new mainstream in the future? What would be the cost of batteries applied this technology in the production?
14.
NCA batteries and other ternary batteries containing 80% of nickel are called high-nickel batteries. What are the effective measures to ensure product safety? Will manufacturers work out more measures in the future?
15.
Is the entire industry still highly concerned about the safety of ternary batteries with 80% nickel?
16.
As you have said earlier, NCA batteries will be mainly applied by Tesla in the future. Chinese manufacturers, such as Ronbay Technology, Tenpower and Lishen Battery, also attempt to put NCA batteries into mass production. What is your opinion on that? What do you think could be the development strategies and directions for Chinese NCA battery manufacturers?
17.
To which companies do domestic NCA battery manufacturers sell their products? In addition to Tesla, do other auto companies consider applying NCA batteries?
18.
What do you think of NCMA oxides? Can you elaborate on their advantages?
19.
If auto companies switch between LFP and ternary batteries, how should they modify the BMS design?
