More and More Automakers Are Returning to Using 523 Battery Cells
Many automakers have returned to using 523 battery cells, such as the Roewe R ER6 and the Geometry C from Geely, which were released in August this year.
According to our sources, the 811 battery cell system within CATL is gradually weakening and becoming only a focus of technical research, with 523 becoming the main development direction.
One reason for this shift is that this year’s national policy has not raised higher requirements for the energy density of battery packs, so the advantages of the 811 battery cell are not that great.
On the other hand, the development of the 811 battery cell is difficult, and currently, only a few companies, such as CATL, can produce it. The number of car makers choosing the 811 battery cell is limited, making it difficult to achieve economies of scale. Although the cobalt content of the 811 battery cell is lower and the theoretical cost is also lower, the production yield and quality issue result in higher costs than 523 battery cells.
The current mainstream development direction has shifted from the 811 to the safer 523 (with slightly adjusted positive electrode materials and improved safety while maintaining the same energy density). As policy directions and market demand continue to adjust, it’s good to change the research direction accordingly. After all, the 523 battery cell has achieved pack densities of up to 180 Wh/kg.
On a side note, do you remember NIO’s 100 kWh battery pack that was released at the end of last year? The version that used 811 battery cells achieved an energy density of 170 Wh/kg and a battery capacity of 84 kWh with the same battery pack size. Therefore, it is exciting to see what solution will be used for the 100 kWh battery pack with the same size. Based on previous disclosures, it is expected that the solution will adopt the 523 battery cell and CTP.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.