Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt last week unveiled two new cobalt-free, highly-efficient electric vehicle batteries which it says will go into commercial production next year, according to local reports.
Svolt, spun-off from local carmaker Great Wall Motors in 2018, said the new batteries use nano-coating and single crystalline cathode technologies. The company said one of its new batteries, the L6, has an energy density of 240 Wh/kg and will be fitted to a forthcoming Great Wall Motors vehicle next year – giving it a range of 880km on a single charge. The battery will come with a 1.2-million-km/15-year warranty.
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The second battery unveiled last week was smaller in size, with an energy density of 245 Wh/kg providing a range of 600 km. The company says it is compatible with most electric car platforms.
Svolt president Yang Hongxin estimates known global cobalt reserves amount to around seven million metric tons, most of which located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the most expensive part in electric car batteries. He suggests that without efficient recycling and reuse, cobalt will be in short supply by 2026.
Mr Yang previously said Svolt's cell stacking design also gives its new batteries 5% more energy density and a 10% longer life cycle than commonly-used jellyroll technology.
