Integrals Power’s LMFP battery technology could increase the range of EVs by 20%. Picture: Supplied
A UK-based battery materials company is claiming a breakthrough in battery technology that could increase electric vehicle range by up to 20%, and South Africa could be an unexpected beneficiary of this discovery.
Integrals Power says it has successfully developed and validated its next-generation Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP) cathode active material, and believes it can be successfully scaled to series production volumes in the future.
The LMFP materials feature 80% manganese, rather than the 50% to 70% mix usually found in competing materials. If this battery type becomes mainstream in the future it could benefit South Africa, which is by far the world’s largest source of manganese, accounting for around 36% of global production of this mineral.
Integrals said its patented materials technology overcomes the drop in specific battery capacity that usually occurs when the percentage of manganese is increased, resulting in higher voltages and a higher energy density that could theoretically increase the range of an electric vehicle by a considerable margin.
The company says its cathode active materials combine the best attributes of the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) chemistries. Traditionally LFP batteries are cheaper to produce and have a longer life cycle than other battery types, while NCM batteries have a higher energy density but are more expensive to produce.
“The challenge that the automotive industry has been trying to overcome for some time is to push up the percentage of manganese in LMFP cells to a high level while retaining the same specific capacity as LFP. Using traditional methods the more manganese you add, the more specific capacity drops, and this has meant it can’t deliver a high energy density,” said Integrals Power Founder and CEO Behnam Hormozi.
“Our proprietary materials and patented production processes have enabled us to overcome this trade-off and increase manganese content to 80%, placing us at the cutting edge of LMFP chemistry.
“With the third-party evaluation from the Energy team at GEIC, we’re proud to have developed a world-class cell material in the UK that can rival the performance of NCM but is more sustainable and more affordable, and will accelerate the transition to e-mobility,” Hormozi added.
South Africa produced 7.2 million metric tons of manganese in 2023, according to Investing News, and the country boasts around 38% of the world’s manganese reserves, largely concentrated in the Northern Cape.
While the mineral looks set to be increasingly used in the production of batteries, it is traditionally employed in the steel industry as a means of adding strength to the metal. It is also used as an additive to fuel, helping to protect and coat a car’s engine.
IOL
Related Topics: