Geely presents improved LFP battery

Geely unveiled a new generation of its self-developed LFP battery for electric cars. According to Chinese media, the new 'Short Blade Battery' could debut in the Galaxy E5, a five-door electric SUV.

Blade batteries are LFP cells with a unique form factor. The cells are very long, making them look like the blade of a sword. The blade battery is a cell-to-pack technology, meaning cells are installed directly in the battery pack and not grouped into individual modules first. That allows for higher energy density at the pack level.

BYD, SVOLT and Geely are among the companies that rely on blade batteries. Although Geely Auto mainly uses batteries from suppliers for its electric cars and also has joint ventures with CATL, Farasis Energy and LG Energy Solution, the group also develops its own batteries. And the “Aegis Short Blade Battery” that has now been unveiled is the latest result of this work.

According to Geely, the new battery solves the problem of high internal resistance, which is typical of blade batteries with long blades. It uses long, thin carbon nanotubes for ion transfer and contains additives to improve permeability, allowing for better fast-charging capability. According to Geely, it gives the battery an energy density of 192 Wh/kg, an average charging rate of 2.45C and a service life of 3,500 cycles without significant loss of capacity. The charging time from 10 to 80% is said to be 17 minutes and 4 seconds.

The Chinese company also provides a comparison. Citing test data, Geely quotes an average charging time of 26 minutes from 10 to 80% and an average charging speed of 1.61 C for “blade batteries with the same capacity.” However, these values cannot be independently verified.

Geely also states that the Aegis battery has a high discharge capacity in cold environments and a “longer driving range than long blade batteries.” In terms of safety, it “uses a high-strength, high-thermal stability, high-heat-resistant diaphragm, with a highly stable separator paired with safe electrodes.”

In its press release, Geely does not provide any details about the vehicles that will house the new battery. However, Chinese media outlets like CN EV Post have written that it will be used in the Galaxy E5 e-SUV. Geely subsidiary Galaxy unveiled the model for the Chinese market in May.

geely.com, cnevpost.com (Galaxy E5)