[Bojo, Battery] "What is Chasm?"... Next-Generation Batteries Sweeping the 'Electric Vehicle Olympics'

Editor's Note'Bojo, Battery' is a series that takes a closer look at the battery industry, which has emerged as the center of next-generation advanced industries. It examines the agile movements, strategies, and conflicts among governments and companies worldwide vying for dominance in the battery manufacturing ecosystem. We will also cover the technological competition to create safer and longer-lasting batteries. We aim to serve as an 'assistant' to readers and investors by enhancing and supporting their understanding of the battery industry. We will share battery stories that are easy to approach.

On the 24th, the world's largest electric vehicle academic conference and exhibition (EVS37) was held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. As the 'Electric Vehicle Olympics' held in Seoul for the first time in nine years, the venue was bustling with electric vehicle and battery stakeholders from various countries from early morning. More than 1,500 electric vehicle experts from over 60 countries and around 200 global companies participated.

Battery companies, which are the core of electric vehicles, attracted attention by showcasing cutting-edge technologies. Samsung SDI, participating for the second time since 2015, set up a solo booth and exhibited numerous innovative technologies that will lead the future electric vehicle market. LG Energy Solution filled one side of the LG Group integrated booth's center with a giant car model to explain Cell To Pack (CTP) technology.

Samsung SDI's booth at EVS37. An all-solid-state battery is displayed in the center.
[Photo by Lee Seongmin]

Samsung SDI, which showcased various battery technologies including the 46mm cylindrical battery, highlighted ▲solid-state batteries ▲ultra-fast charging technology ▲ultra-long-life batteries. A Samsung SDI representative met at the exhibition said, "We focused on these three technologies, which we believe will be core technologies in the future electric vehicle market, as the centerpiece of our exhibition."

The technology that attracted the most attention on-site was undoubtedly the solid-state battery. Visitors looked at the 'PRiMX' solid-state battery model located in the center of the booth with curious eyes. Samsung SDI has established a roadmap to mass-produce solid-state batteries by 2027, expressing confidence in securing the next-generation battery market.

The ultra-fast charging technology, considered key to the popularization of electric vehicles, also drew attention. Besides Samsung SDI, SK Ignition and Hyundai Kefico also showcased ultra-fast chargers, but Samsung SDI plans to shorten charging times through battery materials.

The ultra-fast charging battery structure that Samsung SDI is developing with the goal of mass production in 2026.
Photo by Seongmin Lee

The core of Samsung SDI's lithium-ion battery charging technology reduction lies in optimizing the lithium-ion migration path. Samsung SDI plans to secure ultra-fast charging technology by simplifying the complex ion migration path using silicon carbon nanocomposite (SCN) material in the anode. They set a goal to introduce technology capable of charging a cell from 8% to 80% in 9 minutes by 2026.

They also presented a roadmap to develop ultra-long-life batteries that can be used for 20 years until 2029. This involves developing cutting-edge materials to reduce side reactions and designing batteries for uniform ion and electrical conductivity to extend battery life.

A booth representative said, "One of the most challenging aspects when developing batteries is the trade-off where focusing on a specific performance degrades other performances. We plan to provide various battery options such as fast-charging products and long-life products to help automakers diversify their lineups."

The cell-to-pack display exhibited by LG Energy Solution at EVS37.
[Photo by Lee Seong-min]

This year's EVS37 presented 'battery thermal runaway' as a challenge that the electric vehicle industry must solve. Battery companies also proposed solutions to address the thermal runaway issue.

Thermal runaway refers to the phenomenon where the basic battery unit cell's temperature rises due to external factors, causing an explosion. The explosion then propagates thermal runaway to adjacent battery cells, which is called thermal propagation.

As a technology to prevent thermal runaway and thermal propagation, LG Energy Solution introduced pouch-type Cell To Pack. This product enhances safety by applying verified thermal propagation prevention technology. Samsung SDI also showcased thermal diffusion prevention technology that quickly vents high heat and gases generated by external shocks through the vent (exhaust port), an advantage of prismatic batteries, minimizing heat propagation between batteries.