Nikola Corporation to Unveil Game-Changing Battery Cell Technology

Nikola Corporation to Unveil Game-Changing Battery Cell Technology at Nikola World 2020 (Company press release)

• According to a press release, Nikola motors has invented a new battery technology with four times the energy density (1100Wh/kg) versus lithium ion by removing the binders and current collectors used in a lithium ion battery.
• According to Nikola Motors the new battery technology will:

1. double the driving range of electric vehicles,
2. reduce the cost of hydrogen by increasing the driving range of hydrogen fuel cell trucks to more than 1000miles and reducing their refuelling time to 15minutes
3. be 50% cheaper versus lithium ion batteries because it doesn’t use any expensive metals

• The company claims that the cell can do ~2000 charge and discharge cycles which is sufficient for automotive applications. Nikola further plans to share the IP with any automotive OEMs that will contribute to the technology.

Analysis and Comments

• If true, this is a truly amazing development which could:

1. herald the electrification of each and every sector,
2. disrupt all the incumbent companies in the battery value chain from cathode companies and automotive OEMs to oil & gas companies and
3. move us closer to zero carbon economy.

• But sadly most analysts and scientists do not think this is true and it is certainly not new.
• The only way you can remove the current collector in a battery would be to have a “semi solid” kind of framework. This is what the US company 24M has been working on for a number of years now (please see link).
• In this technology, the cathode and anode powders are mixed in a gel and hence you do not need to coat them on any current collectors. This should significantly reduce the cost of the cells as electrode coating and drying facilities take up the bulk of the capex for a cell gigafactory. Energy density should also be higher as the current collectors (dead weights) are not there. Most likely, Nicola is working with silicon based powder as the anode rather than lithium metal anode for their battery.
• 24M used to make tall claims about their semi solid state batteries as well 4 years ago. They still exist but have significantly toned down the propaganda.
• Semi solid state batteries have significant dendrite issues which reduces battery life and safety.