autoevolution
 

Sion Power's Promising Licerion Cells Reach More Than 2,500 Cycles

Lithium metal cells are a promise about to be fulfilled if we take into consideration all startups reporting their developments. After SES and QuantumScape, it is Sion Power’s time to disclose great results. Cells with its Licerion technology achieved more than 2,500 cycles until they reached 70% of their original capacities.
Sion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacity 6 photos
Photo: Sion Power
Sion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacitySion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacitySion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacitySion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacitySion Power's Licerion tech achieved 2,500 cycles before dropping to 70% of original capacity
Sion Power said that these batteries are multilayered pouch cell prototypes. Although they present a lithium metal anode, they are not solid-state batteries, which probably prevents them from facing the same C rates that QuantumScape declared its cells can stand.

Charging at 1C means that the battery got a full charge from zero in one hour – 60 minutes. Sion Power submitted its Licerion cells to a C/3 charging rate and a 4C/3 discharging pace. In other words, the company charged it from zero in 180 minutes and discharged it in 45 minutes 2,500 times before it dropped below the minimum original capacity that is considered acceptable for electric cars.

If a car had 300 miles of range with Licerion cells, that would mean that it would run a little less than 750,000 miles before its battery pack had to be replaced because of the progressive decay. That is not particularly impressive: BYD’s Blade Battery has a life cycle of 8 years or 1.2 million kilometers (745,650 miles). CATL said its 2-million-km (1.24-million-mile), 16-year-lifetime technology can be applied to NMC and LFP cells.

Summing up, the Licerion cells may not be able to stand fast charging like solid-state batteries and are not as robust as the cells that BYD and CATL already sell. What makes it impressive are its technical specifications.

According to Sion Power, its 6-Ah large-format cell with Licerion tech “be fast-charged to 80% capacity in less than 15 minutes.” Unfortunately, the company did not disclose how many cycles it could achieve in these circumstances. The Licerion cells with 17 Ah have been “independently verified with an actual (not projected) specific energy of 400 Wh/kg and energy density of 780 Wh/l.”

The specific energy is a game-changer. The best lithium-ion cells commercially available achieve 260 Wh/kg. In other words, Licerion cells are 53.8% more energy-dense, meaning that you could have battery packs that are 35% lighter for the same amount of energy. The less mass a car carries, the longer it can travel.

Sion Power did not disclose when it intends to put its Licerion technology for sale. On April 4, 2016, it revealed that LG Chem had bought the rights to put several of its patents to production. However, it had never talked about Licerion until October 2016, so we are not sure it is included among the technologies LG Chem – currently known as LG Energy Solution – could manufacture.

On January 31, 2018, the company said it would start producing cells with the Licerion tech by late 2018. We have no idea what went wrong because those cells are still not in the market. The newest test indicates that Sion Power is still working on it.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories