Photo: ONE
When Our Next Energy (ONE) said it would develop a battery pack called Gemini, the idea left us curious. It would allow long ranges with cells that did not use cobalt or nickel. The obvious option was lithium iron phosphate (LFP). However, it will be a hybrid, utilizing another chemistry. After disclosing it is working with BMW, ONE also spilled the beans on the chemistries and how they will work.
To be more specific, the company disclosed them in the video in which it announced its partnership with BMW. For power, the batteries have lithium (Li), iron (Fe), phosphorus (P), oxygen (O), and carbon (C). That confirms they are LFP cells, possibly with carbon nanotubes, to improve their performance.
The energy cells have Li, O, and manganese (Mn). In other words, we are talking about NMC batteries in which Mn prevails. Interestingly, ONE changed the speech a bit. It did not eliminate cobalt and nickel from its ternary cells as it suggested it would. In fact, it now says it only made manganese more present and minimized the use of the two other metals.
The company’s CEO, Mujeeb Ijaz, told Automotive Engineering that when nickel and cobalt are put together, they “represent a major thermal runaway risk.” Now we have to ask him if that applies to any amount of the two metals or if minimized quantities represent no risk.
Despite that, John Voelcker talked to the company for Car and Driver and discovered what the idea was. The LFP cells will give the EV 99% of the juice it needs to move around. In a way, it will work like the combustion engine in a hybrid car: only when it is more efficient.
In situations in which more energy is needed, such as accelerations, the ternary cells are the ones that come into play, like electric motors in hybrid vehicles. That preserves the LFP cells for longer. More than a hybrid concept, it seems that the different chemistries can work as independent battery packs. The company’s secret must be in how it makes them interact.
With the explanation Voelcker obtained, it seems that the NMC cells with more manganese are also protected by the LFP cells in the sense that they do not have to fully charge and discharge as they would as the only kind of cell in a battery pack. The official presentation of the BMW iX with the Gemini battery pack may help us clarify what makes it so remarkable apart from the hybrid chemistry.
The energy cells have Li, O, and manganese (Mn). In other words, we are talking about NMC batteries in which Mn prevails. Interestingly, ONE changed the speech a bit. It did not eliminate cobalt and nickel from its ternary cells as it suggested it would. In fact, it now says it only made manganese more present and minimized the use of the two other metals.
The company’s CEO, Mujeeb Ijaz, told Automotive Engineering that when nickel and cobalt are put together, they “represent a major thermal runaway risk.” Now we have to ask him if that applies to any amount of the two metals or if minimized quantities represent no risk.
Despite that, John Voelcker talked to the company for Car and Driver and discovered what the idea was. The LFP cells will give the EV 99% of the juice it needs to move around. In a way, it will work like the combustion engine in a hybrid car: only when it is more efficient.
In situations in which more energy is needed, such as accelerations, the ternary cells are the ones that come into play, like electric motors in hybrid vehicles. That preserves the LFP cells for longer. More than a hybrid concept, it seems that the different chemistries can work as independent battery packs. The company’s secret must be in how it makes them interact.
With the explanation Voelcker obtained, it seems that the NMC cells with more manganese are also protected by the LFP cells in the sense that they do not have to fully charge and discharge as they would as the only kind of cell in a battery pack. The official presentation of the BMW iX with the Gemini battery pack may help us clarify what makes it so remarkable apart from the hybrid chemistry.
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