Next-Generation Electric Vehicle Batteries: Capturing 'Speed, Capacity, and Safety' [Reading Science]

South Korea Maintains No.1 Position in Lithium-Ion Battery Industry...Intense Competition in Next-Generation Battery Research

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The heart of next-generation automobiles, the development of electric vehicle batteries that charge quickly and store large capacities stably, is the greatest concern not only for the electric vehicle industry but for all humanity aiming to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal to combat global warming. South Korea has also selected the expansion of 'green mobility,' including electric vehicles, as its most important goal through the 'Green New Deal' policy finalized in July 2020.

While South Korea currently boasts the world's top technology level in the widely popular lithium-ion battery sector, it is being pressured by competing countries such as China, the United States, and Japan in research fields for developing next-generation batteries like all-solid-state batteries. Therefore, there are calls to secure as many core technologies as possible through active government support and revitalization of private research.

◇The 'Heart' Battery of Future Cars

Internal combustion engine vehicles are disappearing to achieve carbon neutrality. Electric vehicles are taking their place. As the energy market shifts from 'fossil fuels' to renewable energies such as wind, solar, and hydrogen, which have high volatility, storage for stable supply is essential. High-performance, high-capacity batteries will play a role as important in the future as oil does today.

According to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), the global battery market has recently exceeded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%, and is expected to surpass $60 billion (approximately 72 trillion KRW) by 2025. In this global market, Korean battery companies are effectively leading the world. As of 2020, the domestic battery production scale reached about 23.3 trillion KRW. Among this, exports amounted to 7.2 trillion KRW, increasing for five consecutive years. For electric vehicle batteries alone, the estimated value was about $33 billion in 2020, with a CAGR of 36.7%. The automotive sector accounts for about 19.1% of the total battery market, and this is expected to increase further as high-capacity and high-output batteries become necessary with the introduction of autonomous vehicles.

◇Korean Battery Top 3 Hold 34% of Global Market

In the battery market, South Korea's top three companies?LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK Innovation?held a 34% share of the global market as of November 2020, more than doubling compared to the same month the previous year, benefiting greatly from their early market entry. The importance is also growing from an economic alliance perspective. Since the Biden administration took office in 2021, the U.S. has become more proactive in promoting electric vehicle adoption and declared an 'alliance with South Korea' to prevent China from gaining dominance, actively attracting Korean companies like LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation to establish factories domestically. The problem is that the mainstream lithium-ion batteries, compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, still have limitations such as slower charging speeds and driving range, as well as safety issues like frequent fires and explosions. Consequently, global competition to develop next-generation battery technologies is fierce.

Seungho Ryu, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), said, "Research to maximize the performance of existing lithium-ion batteries is needed simultaneously with fundamental research on next-generation batteries such as safer all-solid-state batteries and low-cost sodium-ion batteries. To maintain South Korea's world-leading position, the country must foster the secondary battery industry at the national level, and the government should actively support research, development, and industrial growth."

◇Catch the Three Rabbits

There are three major technical challenges to overcome in developing next-generation batteries. First is extending driving range. Current lithium-ion batteries only allow about 500 km per full charge, which cannot compete with internal combustion engine vehicles. Increasing the energy storage capacity by enhancing the energy density through 'energy storage characteristic improvement technology' is essential. Research is progressing on two fronts: developing and improving lithium-ion battery-based materials and developing all-solid-state batteries that replace liquid electrolytes with solid forms.

The second is improving charging speed. The long time required for a full charge, along with the shortage of charging stations, is a major obstacle to electric vehicle adoption. Scientists are focusing on 'battery output characteristic improvement technology,' which enhances the speed of ions moving between the anode and cathode inside the battery to enable faster charging and discharging and higher output. Research on efficient thermal management to reduce battery load is also advancing, and new batteries based on cheaper and more abundant resources such as sodium and aluminum ions have been developed and patented.

The third is the advancement of battery systems. This involves research on sensing the battery's condition and effectively controlling it to improve performance, lifespan, and safety. Particularly, intelligent Battery Management Systems (BMS) cannot be developed through reverse engineering alone, which South Korea has previously relied on. BMS technology monitors and transmits temperature, voltage, and charge levels from hundreds to thousands of battery cells installed in electric vehicles, managing battery status. Its importance is growing as electric vehicle adoption expands.

◇Leading in Patents but Lagging in Papers

Domestic institutions and universities lead in patents related to electric vehicle batteries. Especially in patents related to battery technology improvements and output characteristic enhancement technologies, they hold key patents. However, in research, they are gradually losing ground to major countries like China and the United States. According to KISTI, the top three institutions publishing research papers on energy storage characteristic improvement technology are all Chinese research institutions: Beijing University of Technology, Tsinghua University, and University of Science and Technology of China. In output characteristic improvement technology, Tsinghua University (1st), South China University of Technology (5th), and Chinese Academy of Sciences (6th) rank high. In system advancement, Beijing University of Technology ranks first, Tsinghua University second, and Beijing Jiaotong University third. In South Korea, Sungkyunkwan University, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Chungbuk National University, Pusan National University, Samsung Electronics, Pohang University of Science and Technology, and Yeungnam University have research achievements.

Senior researcher Woo-seok Jang of KISTI explained, "In South Korea, the number of published papers is lower than China (which has lower citation counts), and about 60% of the level of the United States, which has high citation counts. Citation counts, which reflect the qualitative level of papers, are only about 15-30% compared to the top country. On the other hand, South Korea ranks first globally in the quantity of patents, recognized and utilized by various countries, providing a competitive advantage and a favorable environment for future technology development."