What is included in a lithium-ion battery from an electric vehicle? How much lithium, how much cobalt? Here's the answer

Volkswagen Group Components has published a chart showing the battery cell content of an electric vehicle based on [lithium] nickel-cobalt-manganese cathodes. This is the most popular type of cell on the market, so the numbers are very representative.

Electrician's battery: 8 kg lithium, 9 kg cobalt, 41 kg nickel.

An example was a model battery weighing 400 kilograms, i.e. with a capacity of 60-65 kWh. It turns out that most of its weight (126 kg, 31,5 percent) is Aluminum casings of containers and modules. No wonder: it protects the battery from collision damage, so it must be durable.

A small amount of aluminum (aluminum foil) also appears on the electrodes. It serves to discharge the load outside the cell.

The second heaviest ingredient is graphite (71 kg, 17,8%), from which the anode is made. Lithium accumulates in the porous space of the graphite when the battery is charged. And it discharges when the battery is discharged.

The third heaviest ingredient is nickel (41 kg, 10,3%), which is the main element, in addition to lithium, cobalt and manganese, for the creation of modern cathodes. Manganese is 12 kilograms (3 percent), cobalt there is even less, because 9 kilograms (2,3 percent), and the key is in the battery lithium - 8 kilograms (2 percent).

Cobalt cube with 1 centimeter edge. We first used this photo to calculate the cobalt content of an electric vehicle battery. Then about 10 kg came out, which is almost ideal. (C) Alchemist-hp / www.pse-mendelejew.de

Copper weighs 22 kilograms (5,5 percent) and its role is to conduct electricity. A little less by plastic, in which cells, cables, connectors are closed, and modules are enclosed in a case - 21 kilograms (5,3 percent). Liquid electrolyte, in which lithium ions move between the anode and cathode, constitutes a whopping 37 kilograms (9,3 percent) of the battery's weight.

Na electronics is 9 kilograms (2,3 percent), by was, which is sometimes used with additional reinforcing plates or in the frame, it is only 3 kilograms (0,8%). other ingredients they weigh 41 kilograms (10,3 percent).

Opening photo: Cell content in a sample of a lithium-ion battery (c) Volkswagen Group Components.

Editorial note www.elektrowoz.pl: displayed in the list proportions match very well with NCM712 cellsThus, we conclude that they were used in cars of the Volkswagen concern, including cars on the MEB platform, for example, Volkswagen ID.3. The PushEVs already speculated on this over six months ago, but due to lack of official confirmation, we have provided this information only once in secret mode.

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