Photo: David Mark from Pixabay
Li-Ion batteries require resources that are already scarce, and the carmakers are already at war with one another to secure the raw materials. But the car industry is not the only one that needs Li-Ion batteries, as the military could soon join the fray.
As the car industry moves toward electrification, carmakers are increasingly looking at the next crunch. There aren’t enough Li-ion batteries to fulfill everyone’s electrification plans, and those early in the game already secured the lion’s share of raw materials on the market. But the situation will worsen as other industries transition to using Li-Ion batteries. The military will soon need all the Li-ion batteries it can get, increasing the competition in the field.
Chinese Navy announced that it wants to replace the lead-acid batteries in its conventional submarine fleet with Li-ion counterparts. According to a Chinese Navy study, this was made possible specifically because the car industry has advanced the battery tech to its current state. From the Chinese Navy’s point of view, this means safety and reliability above all.
The switch to using Li-Ion batteries could more than double the time a submarine can spend underwater, giving it superior maneuverability and free room for more weapons on board. This is, at least, the conclusion of a study by the Naval Submarine Academy in Qingdao, Shandong province. The change could significantly boost a submarine’s survival and combat abilities.
The move is long in the making, but the Chinese Navy has pondered Li-Ion’s safety record, which is far from spotless. But with the proliferation of LFP batteries, which are cheap and safe, the Navy finally sees the opportunity to use the new battery tech for its submarine fleet. China has the world’s largest conventional submarine fleet, with an estimated 60 to 70 vessels, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).
But the Chinese Navy is not the only military entity that seeks to use Li-Ion batteries to power its vehicles above the surface and underwater. Japan was the first to use Li-Ion batteries in its submarines as early as 2018, and South Korea followed in 2021. As more use cases for Li-Ion batteries are developed and researched, the battle to secure the scarce batteries will heat up. Soon, the car industry might find itself further down the queue to get the raw materials needed for producing Li-Ion batteries.
Chinese Navy announced that it wants to replace the lead-acid batteries in its conventional submarine fleet with Li-ion counterparts. According to a Chinese Navy study, this was made possible specifically because the car industry has advanced the battery tech to its current state. From the Chinese Navy’s point of view, this means safety and reliability above all.
The switch to using Li-Ion batteries could more than double the time a submarine can spend underwater, giving it superior maneuverability and free room for more weapons on board. This is, at least, the conclusion of a study by the Naval Submarine Academy in Qingdao, Shandong province. The change could significantly boost a submarine’s survival and combat abilities.
The move is long in the making, but the Chinese Navy has pondered Li-Ion’s safety record, which is far from spotless. But with the proliferation of LFP batteries, which are cheap and safe, the Navy finally sees the opportunity to use the new battery tech for its submarine fleet. China has the world’s largest conventional submarine fleet, with an estimated 60 to 70 vessels, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).
But the Chinese Navy is not the only military entity that seeks to use Li-Ion batteries to power its vehicles above the surface and underwater. Japan was the first to use Li-Ion batteries in its submarines as early as 2018, and South Korea followed in 2021. As more use cases for Li-Ion batteries are developed and researched, the battle to secure the scarce batteries will heat up. Soon, the car industry might find itself further down the queue to get the raw materials needed for producing Li-Ion batteries.
Google News