A Tesla Model Y or an alternative electric car is very different from your normal internal combustion engine (ICE) car. Electric cars do not have a complicated engine or transmission system. But they do have a battery system that consists of several modules of battery cells packed together. This battery system is extremely complex and one of the least well understood parts of an electric car.
Batteries are mostly distinguished by their battery chemistries. The two most dominant battery chemistries used in cars today are Lithium Ion Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP). Both these chemistries use Lithium ion in their cathodes but they combine the Lithium with very different metal types (NMC or Iron Phosphate) which results in varying performance characteristics.
Advantages of LFP Batteries
Longer Life: LFP Batteries are known to have a much longer life than NMC batteries. This means that a car with an LFP battery will have a longer useful life than a car with an NMC battery.
Cheaper & Ethically Sourced: LFP batteries are cheaper to manufacture and don’t require the use of Cobalt. Cobalt is typically mined in Africa and certain miners in the region have been accused of using slave labor to mine the metal.
More Useable Charge: LFP batteries can also be fully charged to 100% at all times. This results in a higher amount of useable capacity. This is in contrast to NMC batteries where users are advised to limit charging to just 80-90%.
Safer than the alternatives: Last but certainly not the least, LFP batteries are much safer and less susceptible to fires than NMC batteries.
Advantages of NMC Batteries
High Energy Density: Perhaps the biggest advantage of an NMC battery is it’s high energy density. Manufacturers who want to provide a lot of power and range to the customer without compromising on vehicle efficiency and aerodynamics often end up using an NMC battery. NMC batteries have an energy density of 250 Wh/kg compared to 160 Wh/kg for an LFP battery. This difference is significant and is the primary reason NMC batteries are used.
Better Cold Weather Performance: NMC batteries also beat LFP batteries in cold weather performance. This is due to a variety of reasons such as lower internal resistance and a wider operating temperature range. So if you live in cold weather areas expect to see a lower amount of range loss if you are using an NMC battery.
What Battery Chemistry Does Your Car Have?
OEMs like Tesla, Rivian are not very transparent about the battery chemistry of their cars. This is because they want to retain the ability to switch between battery chemistries depending on commodity prices, performance and availability. This lack of transparency is unfortunate because the user experience of an NMC battery powered car will almost certainly vary from an LFP battery powered car. And customers are often left to wonder why two cars that are literally the same model and year have very different ranges and charging needs.
A little bit of research, however, can go a long way. We were able to gather battery chemistry information for a lot of the top makes and models of EVs in the US.
It is surprising that other than the standard range EVs sold by Tesla and Rivian, the average US EV still uses a Lithium Ion NMC battery. This will likely change with time. LFP battery chemistries are being increasingly preferred by US manufacturers.
Which Battery Chemistry Should I Choose?
If you have a choice between two cars with different battery chemistries, you should always almost choose the electric car with an LFP battery. There are several reasons for this, but I’ll offer the two most convincing ones:
LFP Battery Powered EVs Will Have a Longer Useful Life
The life of your EV will be tied to the life of your battery. The longer your battery lasts and retains its charge capacity the longer the “useful” life of your EV will be. Since NMC batteries degrade more quickly than LFP batteries, an NMC car will theoretically have a shorter life than an LFP car. This will also mean than an LFP car will have a higher resale value than an NMC car. Now, the EV market is still in its infancy and there simply isn’t enough hard data to substantiate this, but it isn’t a stretch to assume that battery chemistries will affect the resale value of a car.
LFP Batteries are Safer. Period.
Now, EVs will always be more safer than your average gasoline powered internal COMBUSTION engine (ICE) car. But between the two battery chemistries mentioned here, LFPs are safer. This is because LFP batteries have a higher thermal runaway temperature (around 270°C) compared to NMC batteries (around 150-200°C). This is also one of the reasons why most manufacturers will be transitioning away from NMC batteries over the long term.
Conclusion
The battery is perhaps the most important piece of hardware in an electric car. It is also the least understood part of the car. Doing your own due diligence on the battery chemistry of your preferred EVs prior to purchase can often make or break your user experience!
1 comment
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