U.S. patent applications are invariably an intimation that the proposers have new inventions, and that they wish to protect their interests. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publishes these documents, and they provide a useful way to gauge how technology is trending. Power News and Technology for the Global Energy Industry used this data to generate a BEV lithium-ion battery forecast.
How This Technology Relates to Transport
BEV is an abbreviation for a battery electric vehicle, which runs entirely on stored energy. The power train comprises (a) a battery, (b) electric motors, and (c) a traction inverter that controls the speed and torque of the motors.
Lithium-ion battery technology is currently the favored solution in terms of energy density, recharging time, and battery lifespan. However, it does not perform ideally in terms of cost and safety.
Power News and Technology for the Global Energy Industry used U.S. patent application data, to determine whether BEV lithium-ion battery technology would continue to be popular in future. And established that this seems to be the case.
The BEV Lithium-Ion Battery Forecast Generated
The researchers noticed a substantial number of U.S. patent applications that involved BEV power train components. Lithium-ion batteries were prominent among these, although solid state batteries were also contenders. They interpreted this to mean that increasing numbers of applicants believed that solid state was becoming a viable alternative.
New possibilities for lithium batteries include a number of different materials for electrodes and electrolytes embracing:
- Lithium cobalt oxide
- Lithium iron phosphate
- Lithium manganese oxide
- Lithium titanate
- Lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide
- Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide
A relatively small number of the U.S. BEV lithium-ion battery patent applications targeted battery monitoring, recycling, and other ‘peripheral aspects’. However, the majority spoke about lithium-ion battery composition, structure, and manufacturing methods, showing where the industry is focused.
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