Resumen
The Li-ion battery (LIB) market is now entering a period where energy density improvements and cost
reductions are levelling off for the current generation 3a. To continue with this trend while
keeping pace with the increasing industry demands for cost reduction, user- friendliness of
electric vehicles and safety, breakthrough innovations at material level and cell design are
needed. Within this context, NEXTCELL overarching goal is to provide a new 3b LIB cell generation
for both high capacity and high voltage applications developing and validating a ground-breaking
gellified cell concept. The project workplan revolves around a three dimension-based methodology:
(i) Prototyping the gellified cell concept up to TRL6 (20Ah), (ii) Modelling the gellified cell
concept, and (iii) Evaluation of technical, safety, sustainability, and costs improvements.
NEXTCELL's approach will not only provide Europe with cutting edge 3b cells but will also tackle
three key parameters hindering a greater market penetration of LIBs technology: (i) Costs:
optimising its manufacturing processes, reducing capital and operating costs of future
Giga-factories by avoiding evaporation of solvents and the electrolyte-filling step. (ii) Safety:
Producing intrinsically safe cells, avoiding the presence of low boiling point components in cell
components. (iii) Sustainability: Reducing energy consumption by 50% against SoA and avoiding the
use of toxic organic solvents (NMP). The project is led by the electric vehicle industry, from the
project coordination by FEV (leading vehicle and powertrain international service provider) to key
industry manufacturers along the value chain, such as SOLVAY (polymer, binders, and separators),
ABEE (cathode production), VARTA
Automobiles group). Thus, NEXTCELL has a solid determination
owards fast and successful commercialisation of the novel cell design and its new components after
the project.
