World’s First 18650-Sized Potassium-Ion Battery Aims to Tackle Lithium Shortage

Most portable electronics and the latest electric vehicles rely on lithium batteries. Texas-based startup Group1 has introduced a more sustainable option with the world’s first 18650 potassium-ion battery.

Group1, established in 2021 by experienced battery technology professionals, includes Leigang Xue as Chief Product Officer. Xue previously worked with Dr. John Goodenough, the 2019 Nobel Laureate and co-inventor of the Li-ion battery, at the University of Texas at Austin.

In Dr. Goodenough’s lab, Dr. Xue developed the Potassium Prussian White (KBW) cathode material, which is crucial for creating the new “safer, faster-charging, more efficient, and sustainable” potassium-ion battery (KIB).

To assemble a KIB cell, KBW is combined with a commercial-grade graphite anode, along with common electrolyte formulations and separators. Notably, these new batteries do not require critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, or copper.

A Solution to the Looming Lithium Shortage Amid Fossil Fuel Transition

“As the shift away from fossil fuels intensifies, the need for lithium-ion batteries is rapidly increasing, and our lithium resources will soon fall short,” said CEO Alexander Gira when Group1 emerged from stealth in 2022. “Group1 and potassium-ion batteries offer a viable alternative to address this supply gap.”

Group1 highlights that potassium is over a thousand times more abundant than lithium, and its KBW cathode is produced through low-temperature, sustainable methods.

Initially, development focused on a coin-cell battery, progressed to a pouch-cell format, and now has introduced the world’s first 18650 potassium-ion battery. This format should facilitate adoption by electric vehicle manufacturers and could be used in power banks and portable devices, promising a superior combination of performance, safety, and cost compared to LiFePO4 (LFP)-based lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries.

The new cells operate at 3.7 volts and have reportedly surpassed performance expectations, achieving a gravimetric energy density of 160-180 Wh/kg. While this is comparable to current LFP packs, it still falls short of the next-gen CATL Shenxing Plus batteries, which reach up to 205 Wh/kg. It also lags behind lab-grade lithium batteries and Tesla’s 4680 cells in terms of performance.

Group1 has distributed samples to “key Tier 1 OEMs” and battery cell manufacturers, with the goal of “widespread adoption of this transformative technology” in the near future.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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