Zeta Energy
Assembly Line
Stellantis lithium-sulfur EV batteries: cheaper, lighter, more range
In a potentially game-changing move for the EV industry, Stellantis and Zeta Energy Corp have teamed up to develop the next-generation EV battery with more range, more power, 50% faster charging, and at less than half the cost.
Despite lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries having been conceptualized in the 1960s, practical applications were limited due to issues like poor life cycles and capacity loss from something called “the polysulfide shuttle effect,” unique to Li-S batteries. As the battery discharges, sulfur at the cathode side reacts with the lithium, creating lithium polysulfides which diffuse through the electrolyte to the anode leaving deposits. While charging, some polysulfides would migrate back to the cathode, but not all, degrading the battery very quickly.
Texas, USA-based Zeta, in partnership with global automotive giant, Stellantis, reckons it’s got that figured out. Recent advancements in material technology and the development of barriers and coatings trap these polysulfides, preventing them from “shuttling” between the electrodes, effectively fixing the pesky premature death effect.
The two companies also claim improvements in fast-charging speeds by as much as 50% over traditional lithium-ion battery packs. Li-S has a simpler chemistry and doesn’t rely on the slow diffusion of lithium ions into solid materials (like the graphite in Li-ion). Instead, reactions occur directly between the lithium and sulfur which is faster and more straightforward. They also operate at lower voltages, so they don’t have as much resistance during charging, making them absorb energy more quickly.