As the world electrifies, the race is on to build better batteries that take you further, charge faster, are safer, and more sustainable.
Dutch startup LionVolt is developing 3D solid-state batteries that it says ticks all the above — and it''s just raised €15mn to scale up production.
LionVolt — a spinout from TNO''s Holst Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands — is working on solid-state batteries that don''t contain the liquid lithium common in standard lithium-ion devices.
Instead, the batteries are made up of a thin film containing billions of solid pillars, creating a patented 3D architecture with a large surface area. Compared to lithium batteries, the ions only have to travel a short distance, which makes charging and discharging much faster. Using a solid material rather than a liquid also means that the battery cannot catch fire or explode.
As the startup''s CEO and co-founder Karl McGoldrick previously explained to TNW, the heightened surface area inside the battery allows for an almost record-breaking energy density of 450 Wh/kg. Tesla''s 4,680 cells, for comparison, measure somewhere between 244-296 Wh/kg.
LionVolt further claims its batteries weigh 50% less and provide 200% better performance compared to the most advanced lithium-ion batteries available today. The cells can already be used in wearables, but the company eventually plans to build a gigafactory in Eindhoven to make batteries for EVs.
Armed with fresh equity funding, which brings the company''s total raised so far to €30mn, LionVolt looks to embark on the next phase of growth.
"A big thank you to our investors for their confidence in us," the company said on LinkedIn. "Looking forward to accelerating LionVolt as a leading next-gen battery company by leveraging the core strengths of our teams in the Netherlands and the UK."
The announcement comes just two weeks after LionVolt acquired AMTE Power, pulling the Scottish battery cell manufacturer out of administration.
AMTE Power, which went bankrupt in December, specialised in lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells used in high performance EV batteries and long-duration energy storage.
Under the deal, LionVolt now owns the company''s battery-cell manufacturing and production businesses based in Thurso, Scotland. It will repurpose the site to produce its own solid-state battery technology.
Sandeep Unnikrishnan, CTO of LionVolt, called it a "dream scenario" for a deeptech company like theirs. "It helps us mature our innovative 3D battery technology quicker by leveraging the manufacturing expertise from the team in Scotland, thereby reducing time-to-market."
In a busy start to the year for LionVolt, the startup also secured a space to set up its first pilot production plant at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven.
LionVolt''s recent successes are good news for the EU, which is pushing to increase its share of battery production amid an industry dominated by cheap imports from China.
Back in 2019, the bloc invested a whopping €60bn into domestic EVs and battery production, which undoubtedly helped some of Europe''s most promising startups, such as Northvolt, scale to where they are now.
As numerous other companies, such as CATL in China or Toyota in Japan, announce breakthroughs in solid-state batteries, Europe will no doubt have to double down on funding. Whether it does or not could prove decisive for LionVolt and European battery startups.
As McGoldrick stressed, if Europe is to feature prominently in the great battery race at all, then investing in novel technology — which means taking a chance on younger companies — is essential.
"We have to be braver," he says. "Otherwise, we''ll be buying all our batteries from China."
NWO press release and UT press release
(1) Liu, M.; Wang, C.; Zhao, C.; van der Maas, E.; Lin, K.; Arszelewska, V. A.; Li, B.; Ganapathy, S.; Wagemaker, M. Quantification of the Li-Ion Diffusion over an Interface Coating in All-Solid-State Batteries via NMR Measurements. Nat. Commun. 2021, 12 (1), 1–10. doi /10.1038/s41467-021-26190-2.
(2) Yu, C.; Ganapathy, S.; De Klerk, N. J. J.; Roslon, I.; Van Eck, E. R. H.; Kentgens, A. P. M.; Wagemaker, M. Unravelling Li-Ion Transport from Picoseconds to Seconds: Bulk versus Interfaces in an Argyrodite Li6PS5Cl-Li2S All-Solid-State Li-Ion Battery. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138 (35), 11192–11201. doi /10.1021/jacs.6b05066.
(3) Yu, C.; Ganapathy, S.; Eck, E. R. H. van; Wang, H.; Basak, S.; Li, Z.; Wagemaker, M. Accessing the Bottleneck in All-Solid State Batteries, Lithium-Ion Transport over the Solid-Electrolyte-Electrode Interface. Nat. Commun. 2017, 8 (1), 1086. doi /10.1038/s41467-017-01187-y.
(4) Schwietert, T. K.; Arszelewska, V. A.; Wang, C.; Yu, C.; Vasileiadis, A.; de Klerk, N. J. J.; Hageman, J.; Hupfer, T.; Kerkamm, I.; Xu, Y.; van der Maas, E.; Kelder, E. M.; Ganapathy, S.; Wagemaker, M. Clarifying the Relationship between Redox Activity and Electrochemical Stability in Solid Electrolytes. Nat. Mater. 2020. doi /10.1038/s41563-019-0576-0.
(5) Schwietert, T. K.; Vasileiadis, A.; Wagemaker, M. First-Principles Prediction of the Electrochemical Stability and Reaction Mechanisms of Solid-State Electrolytes. JACS Au 2021, 1 (9), 1488–1496. doi /10.1021/jacsau.1c00228.
TNO is spinning off its 3D battery activities from Holst Centre under the name of LionVolt BV. LionVolt will now accelerate the development of a revolutionary solid-state battery based on the 3D technology created by TNO at Holst Centre over the past five years of R&D. This has resulted in a proof of concept (PoC) and LionVolt is in the process of finalizing its seed funding to help execute accelerated development of 3D-batteries.
Dr. Ton van Mol, managing director of TNO at Holst Centre: "With the launch of LionVolt we aim to make a positive sustainable impact on the future of batteries by offering unique performance in multiple areas. Because of the electrification of the automotive industry and growth of wireless electronics it is of strategic importance that Europe and the Netherlands have access to their own battery manufacturing technology and become less dependent on Asian players. Through the launch of LionVolt we will contribute to the strength of the European battery ecosystem and to the positioning of the Netherlands as a major player in the battery cell manufacturers landscape."
The new battery type that LionVolt will be developing is based on 3D technology and solid-state layers. Compared with currently used lithium batteries, these ''3D Solid-State Thin-Film'' batteries are lighter and safer. They recharge rapidly, have a higher energy density, are intrinsically safe and have a long product lifespan.
The batteries are made by covering billions of pillars with thin layers of functional material, creating a 3D structure with a very large surface area and very short distances between both battery electrodes. The lithium-ions only have to travel a short distance, reducing charging and discharging times.
LionVolt''s PoC of a fully solid-state 3D thin-film battery has been demonstrated in December 2020 which showed that it''s feasible to produce 3D batteries at a large scale. In the coming years LionVolt plans to further develop this into a 3D solid state battery that is ready for market.
Dr. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, CTO of LionVolt, is thrilled with the launch of LionVolt and the prospect of the 3D batteries: "The battery industry will multiply fivefold to an over 137 billion dollar industry by 2025. This is mainly driven by applications such as electric vehicles. With our novel 3D batteries we offer higher performance, in safer batteries at competitive costs. In terms of energy density alone, LionVolt will ensure batteries that are at least 3 times better than what is available today."
The first applications will be in smart technology products worn around our bodies, known as wearables, in which lithium batteries are still the main option. LionVolt will offer advantages in battery design and performance, while being solid-state means intrinsically safer. In the longer term, larger 3D solid-state batteries will be developed for the automotive and other markets, with future factories in the Netherlands creating significant economic activity and employment.
Follow your favorite subjects.
LionVolt is an innovative battery scale-up company focused on developing a 3D electrode technology which can be applied in next generation lithium-ion, sodium-ion and solid-state battery cells. The com- pany was founded in 2020 (as a spin-out from TNO) and builds on a decade of R&D work with roots in 2014. In 2022, LionVolt demonstrated the potential of 3D electrodes and developed its first structured battery cells, thereby laying the foundation for the next phase of the company.
About Netherlands solid-state batteries
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Netherlands solid-state batteries have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Netherlands solid-state batteries for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Netherlands solid-state batteries featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
