SES unveils world's largest li-metal battery

Singapore-based battery maker SES unveiled the world's largest lithium-metal battery on Thursday, marking a breakthrough for the automotive industry that is shifting towards electrification.

The battery cell, with 107 ampere hours, is also the world's first 100 plus Ah lithium-metal battery ever demonstrated. The average capacity of a lithium-ion battery cell in electric cars today ranges from 50 to 120 amp hours.

SES founder and CEO Qichao Hu said: "There's a race among leading global carmakers and next generation battery suppliers to develop and demonstrate the world's first 100 Ah Li-Metal battery."

"We are confident that we and our OEM partners will win this race, and be the first to commercialize this next generation lithium-metal battery," said Hu.

Hu said SES is building a production facility in Shanghai, which is scheduled for completion in 2023. It will be capable of producing 1 GWh of li-metal batteries annually, by far the largest of its kind in the world.

SES is working with GM and Hyundai to deliver practical samples next year, and aim to start commercialization of lithium-metal batteries in 2025.

Analysts said its commercialization will prove important for the automotive industry that is shifting towards electrification.

Carmakers in China, Europe and the United States have rolled out plans to go electric, ranging from volume brands including Volkswagen and GM to premium marques such as Jaguar and Volvo.

In China alone, electric cars and plug-in hybrids are expected to exceed 3 million units this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.