February 21, 2020
Enevate, a pioneer in advanced silicon-dominant lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology capable of high energy density and fast charging for electric vehicles (EV), is applying its battery solutions to advanced power cells for the power tool market and other high power applications.
For example, in a 21700 cylindrical power cell, 5.9Ah can be achieved utilizing Enevate technology, far exceeding the capacity of other power cells in the market, which today averages 4Ah.
Enevate developed the power cell to be capable of high energy density, low temperature operation, and both high discharge and charge rates, allowing very short recharge times of depleted batteries which power cells today cannot achieve.
Battery powered power tools are an important and large market segment, and Enevate’s battery technology is extremely well-suited to serve this market. Power tool users, especially in areas such as the home, industrial, and business construction, need portable power tools with longer battery runtimes and the ability to work in cold temperatures.
The Li-ion battery technology we’ve developed is especially well-suited for fast discharge and longer runtimes through increased energy density, enabling power tool users more and longer productive work time between charges. We have developed cylindrical cell designs that use the fundamental nature of our inexpensive and scalable silicon-dominant battery chemistry.—Dr. Benjamin Park, Enevate Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Park noted that opportunities to serve the power tool market will happen sooner—in the next year or two—than the longer-lead electrical vehicle (EV) battery market, in which Enevate is preparing its pioneering technology for 2024-2025 EV model years.
Enevate’s power cell has been tested at up to 10C sustained discharge rates. Also, power tools must have the ability to operate in cold climates outdoors; Enevate’s power tool cell is able to operate down to -20 °C and has excellent low temperature cycle life.
The vast majority of the power cells on the market are cylindrical cells, which can be supported by Enevate technology. Power cells using Enevate’s technology can be wound as cylindrical cells, or made as pouch or prismatic can cells.
Enevate’s fourth-generation XFC-Energy battery technology (earlier post) can charge 75% of the total cell capacity in five minutes at 10C charge rates. Typical power cells today can only charge at about one-sixth of the rate of Enevate cells, resulting in a charge time that is six times longer.
Other highlights of the fourth-generation XFC-Energy technology include:
- Cell technology scalable for large-format pouch, prismatic and cylindrical EV cells suitable for various battery module and pack architectures. Achieves 800 Wh/L and 340 Wh/kg in large-format EV cells.
- Pure silicon-dominant anode technology tunable with 10-60µm thickness and 1000-2000mAh/g that can be paired with NCA, NCM811, NCMA, low-cobalt, or other advanced cathode technologies.
- Continuous roll-to-roll anode manufacturing processes designed and capable of achieving more than 80 meters per minute electrode production, more than 10 GWh per electrode production line, with pure silicon anode rolls greater than 1 meter wide and longer than 5 kilometers in length sufficient for high volume gigafactory production, among other features.
- Lower anode material cost (dollar per kWh) than conventional and synthetic graphite.
The Irvine, California-based company has raised more than $110 million from investors including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi (Alliance Ventures), LG Chem, Samsung, Mission Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Tsing Capital, Infinite Potential Technologies, Presidio Ventures – a Sumitomo Corporation company, Lenovo, CEC Capital and Bangchak.