Sion Power gives lithium-metal cell to OEMs for testing

The US battery developer Sion Power has produced more than 18,000 samples of its lithium metal cells called Licerion, developed in cooperation with BASF, and passed them on to several EV manufacturers for validation. The multilayer cells have a charging capacity of 6 to 20 Ah.

Sion Power has worked on the technology for several years, and commercialisation is becoming more concrete. In principle, the anode technology marketed under the name Licerion can be combined with common cathode materials such as LFP and NMC. And Sion Power is already accepting pre-orders for the Licerion EV 56 Ah automotive B-sample cell. It should be available by the end of 2024. In addition, the US developer says it has “increased the supply of commercially available 17 Ah cells for additional testing”.

According to an independent test lab, the current version of Sion Power’s 6 Ah large-format Licerion EV cell has exceeded 800 cycles and can be fast-charged to 80 per cent in less than 15 minutes. Sion’s 17 Ah Licerion EV cell has also been independently verified “at a specific energy of 400 Wh/kg and energy density of 780 Wh/L.” The Americans already made these claims in March 2022. They are cited again in the current announcement as performance characteristics of the new technology – along with the indication that, compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, the company is aiming for twice the energy for the same size and weight, specifically “up to 500 Wh/kg in large-format cells”.

“We have more than just technology at Sion Power – we have a product to sample. Our team continues to advance our technology and increase the availability of cells so that Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) can test and incorporate it into their designs. To date, we have produced a vast number of multilayer Lithium Metal cells for commercial evaluations, which continue to exceed our stated technical specifications,” says Sion Power CEO Tracy Kelley.

Sion does not specify when the cells will be ready for series production. However, Cummins has already been confirmed as a buyer.
sionpower.com