March 9, 2024
Top 10 EV battery technologies-which is the best
With the rapid development of the global new energy vehicle market, power battery technology (get to know more about the top 10 installed capacity of power battery manufacturers in the world) is continuously innovating. Various new materials, processes, and integrated management methods are emerging, driving progress in the electric vehicle industry.
This article will provide a detailed analysis and comparison of the current top 10 EV battery technologies, including their basic principles, technological innovations, and market adaptability, in order to offer industry practitioners and consumers a comprehensive understanding.
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Best-list of top 10EV battery technologies in the world
The top 10 EV battery technologies includes:
- CTM (Cell To Module)
- CATL’s CTP (Cell To Pack)
- Tesla’s CTC (Cell To Chassis)
- Gotion High-Tech’s JTM (Jelly Roll To Module)
- Aion’s Cassette Battery
- Dongfeng’s “Three No” Battery
- Great Wall Motors’ Dayu Battery
- Leap Motor’s MTC (Module To Chassis)
- BYD’s CTB (Cell To Body)
- SAIC’s ONE PACK
CTM (Cell To Module)
CTM is the most traditional battery pack integration technology. Several EV battery cells are first connected in series and parallel to form a module, which is then assembled into the battery pack, and finally, the battery pack is integrated into the vehicle chassis.
In the early stages of using power batteries in new energy vehicles, there was no uniform standard, leading to a wide variety of battery, module, and battery pack sizes, resulting in high development costs for battery cells and inconvenience in replacement and maintenance.
Later, it was found that the space locations available for each vehicle had certain commonalities. Based on these space dimensions, the size range of the modules was inferred, aiming to achieve standardization of battery cell sizes.
Since Volkswagen aggressively entered the electrification sector in 2008, CTM technology has gone through multiple stages of development. The initially launched 355 module (module length 355mm) could accommodate three battery modules, demonstrating excellent performance in increasing range and reducing components.
Subsequently, Volkswagen further launched the longer 390 module and the more compact 590 module, gradually enhancing the integration efficiency of the modules.
Although CTM provides better protection structurally, its efficiency is gradually revealing limitations in space utilization, with an overall space utilization rate of only 40%, which fails to meet the increasingly growing demand from the electric vehicle market.
With the rapid popularization of new energy vehicles and the extreme development of lithium-ion battery performance, there is an urgent need to improve battery pack integration efficiency at the application level. Large modularization, de-modularization, and vehicle body integration technologies have become mainstream trends.
CATL's CTP (Cell To Pack)
CATL launched the world’s first CTP battery pack in 2019, integrating battery cells directly into the battery pack for the first time, thus giving rise to the CTP concept. CTP technology marks a significant breakthrough in battery design and manufacturing, effectively addressing many issues associated with traditional CTM technology.
CTP technology has several notable advantages. Compared to traditional battery packs, CTP battery packs can increase volume utilization by 15-20%, reduce the number of components by 40%, and improve production efficiency by 50%.
These improvements provide greater design flexibility for electric vehicles, thereby achieving higher range capabilities. The energy density of CTP battery packs can reach up to 200Wh/kg, representing an increase of over 30% compared to traditional structures.
The implementation of CTP technology is based on two main ideas: large modularization and non-modularization. The CTP provided by CATL belongs to large modularization technology, with the core logic being to increase the capacity of individual battery cells while stacking multiple cells to form a larger battery module.
This not only reduces the number of modules but also lowers production costs. In addition, CTP technology often optimizes the connection structure between modules, further simplifying the assembly process.
While CTP battery packs have strong applicability, high space utilization, low cost, and good heat dissipation performance, the overall performance of the battery pack will depend on the performance of the weakest battery cell involved due to the “wooden barrel effect.” This increases the requirements for consistency in battery cells, and furthermore, if a battery failure occurs, the convenience and cost of maintenance are higher.
Tesla's CTC (Cell To Chassis)
At Tesla’s “Battery Day” in 2020, the company unveiled the CTC (Cell To Chassis) technology for the first time. The characteristic of CTC technology is that it integrates the battery pack directly into the vehicle chassis, eliminating two assembly processes: those for the module and the battery pack. This approach not only reduces the number of components but also significantly lowers production costs and overall vehicle weight, enhancing range capabilities.
CTC’s design innovation lies in combining the battery pack’s upper shell with the vehicle’s floor. This design makes the battery pack not only an energy supply device but also part of the vehicle’s structure. Tesla prevents heat from transferring into the cabin by filling the interior of the battery pack with glue, and provides additional protection during side collisions.
CTC technology significantly outperforms traditional battery pack integration methods in terms of space utilization, production costs, and overall vehicle weight. However, this structure also places higher demands on cell consistency. Due to the battery integration at the bottom of the chassis, convenience for maintenance is reduced, and the cost of replacing a battery is higher, which somewhat limits the widespread application of CTC.
Gotion High-Tech's JTM (Jelly Roll To Module)
On January 8, 2021, Gotion High-Tech held its Tenth Science and Technology Conference in Hefei, where it released a 210Wh/kg lithium iron phosphate soft package cell and the JTM (Jelly Roll To Module) battery technology. This technology was proposed to enhance the integration efficiency and safety of battery modules.
The main difference between JTM and other cell integration technologies is its use of the jelly roll as the smallest unit. Inside the cell, JTM connects multiple units in parallel and series, similar to the internal structure of blade batteries, but its design allows each unit to operate independently, enhancing safety performance.
JTM batteries can improve module formation efficiency to over 90%, and when combined with high specific energy lithium iron phosphate batteries, the system energy density exceeds that of the NCM622 ternary system, making it suitable for the high-end passenger vehicle market.
Additionally, the design of JTM effectively delays the occurrence of disasters during thermal runaway, further enhancing the safety of the batteries. Although JTM technology demonstrates outstanding integration efficiency and safety, its market acceptance and practicality still need to be validated in real automotive applications to confirm its stability and reliability over long-term use.
Aion's Cassette Battery
On March 10, 2021, GAC Aion unveiled the world’s first generation of cassette battery system safety technology. Due to its design resembling a safety chamber similar to a cassette, it is referred to as the “cassette battery.” This technology achieved a pioneering industry milestone: the ternary lithium battery pack could withstand puncturing without catching fire, claiming to redefine the active safety standards for ternary lithium batteries.
Through optimized design and manufacturing processes, the system volume energy density improved by 9.4% (302Wh/L), while system mass energy density increased by 5.7% (185Wh/kg), and costs were reduced by 10%.
GAC Aion’s cassette battery is primarily designed around the concepts of “preventing internal short circuits in battery cells, preventing thermal runaway after a short circuit, and preventing thermal propagation after thermal runaway.” The system includes four core technologies: ultra-high heat-resistant battery cells, high-strength insulated battery safety chambers, and rapid cooling systems.
The introduction of cassette battery technology effectively addresses the safety issues of ternary lithium batteries under extreme conditions such as thermal abuse and puncturing. The system’s volume and mass energy densities have increased by 9.4% and 5.7%, respectively. The successful promotion of this technology is expected to enhance consumer trust in ternary lithium batteries, thereby driving their application in new energy vehicles.
Despite significant improvements in safety, the complexity and production costs associated with the cassette battery have also increased. This may affect large-scale production and market adoption. Furthermore, maintaining high safety while reducing costs remains a pressing challenge.
Dongfeng's "Three No" Battery
In 2021, Dongfeng Motor’s Lantu brand launched its “Three No” battery, marking an important innovation aimed at improving the safety of ternary lithium batteries. The power system of the Lantu FREE electric vehicle utilizes ternary lithium batteries, achieving a result that is characterized by “no smoke, no fire, and no explosion.”
Lantu FREE employs a three-dimensional insulation wall design for individual cells, along with battery monitoring and early warning models, successfully elevating the safety of ternary lithium batteries to a new level. Its design objectives not only ensure the stability of the battery during use but also help eliminate consumers’ safety concerns about electric vehicles.
Great Wall Motors' Dayu Battery
On June 29, 2021, Great Wall Motors introduced the “Dayu Battery,” which has received widespread attention for its safety performance of “never catching fire and never exploding.” According to reports, the Dayu battery is named for its safety assurance principle, which adopts the “turning blockage into penetration” concept from Duyu’s river management approach.
The Dayu battery utilizes multi-level current exchange, rapid extreme cooling suppression, and multi-stage directional explosion discharge systems, along with high nickel 811 ternary battery materials. Its design enhances energy density while ensuring safety at high temperatures.
The “turning blockage into penetration” concept of the Dayu battery primarily improves the overall safety performance of ternary lithium battery packs from eight aspects: thermal source isolation, bidirectional current exchange, thermal flow distribution, directional explosion discharge, high-temperature insulation, automatic fire extinguishing, positive pressure oxygen resistance, and intelligent cooling.
Leap Motor's MTC (Module To Chassis)
In 2022, Leap Motor publicly unveiled MTC technology (strictly speaking, it should be called Module To Chassis), aimed at enhancing battery utilization efficiency through integrated design with the chassis.
The innovation of MTC technology lies in integrating traditional battery modules directly into the vehicle chassis, thereby reducing the number of components and lowering production costs. Through this design, Leap Motor can achieve higher battery layout efficiency and structural strength within limited space.
Compared to Tesla’s CTC design, Leap Motor’s MTC technology retains the module design, making battery maintenance more convenient. When battery failures occur, users can easily replace the faulty module without dismantling the entire chassis. However, while this design enhances battery load capacity, it may face certain challenges in overall integration and safety regarding thermal runaway.
BYD's CTB (Cell To Body)
In 2022, BYD officially launched the CTB (Cell To Body) integrated body technology. This technology provides higher energy conversion and utilization efficiency for electric vehicles. CTB technology connects the battery pack with the vehicle’s floor to form an integrated design.
Through this design, the power battery system utilization of BYD’s new model “Seagull” has increased by 66%, with a system energy density improvement of 10%, achieving a range of 700 kilometers.
CTB technology shows outstanding performance in improving battery safety, structural strength, and utilization rate, and employs a blade battery array layout in the battery pack design, ensuring high safety. This effective combination lays the foundation for BYD’s product developments in high strength and lightweight design.
Although CTB technology shows good integration and safety, compared to Tesla’s CTC technology, there is still room for improvement in overall integration. In the future, BYD may consider further strengthening the integration between the battery and structure based on CTB technology.
SAIC's ONE PACK
On June 13, 2022, SAIC Motor’s MG brand launched the “Magic Cube Battery” and showcased the first model equipped with the Magic Cube Battery – the MG MULAN. The Magic Cube Battery features a standard battery pack with a length of 1690mm, width of 1300mm, and selectable heights of 110mm, 125mm, and 137mm.
With fixed lengths and widths, varying heights can meet different range requirements, and because the battery pack’s length and width are the same, the Magic Cube Battery uses unified cell fixing positions, a unified quick-change cooling interface, and unified high and low-pressure interfaces, allowing for battery swap functionality (there are already the top 10 ev battery swapping companies in China).
The biggest technical feature of the Magic Cube Battery is its horizontal cell layout, while traditional battery packs are arranged vertically or sideways. Why does the Magic Cube Battery adopt a “lying flat” design? The benefits of the horizontal layout include more efficient layout within the vehicle, longer cycle life, and better safety performance.
Conclusion
In summary, various electric vehicle battery technologies each have their unique strengths. Besides the ten technologies mentioned above, CATL’s 3.0 Kirin battery is also noteworthy. The continuous development of various battery technologies is collectively advancing the growth of new energy vehicles.
From traditional CTM to innovative CTP and CTC, each iteration of technology seeks higher energy density, better safety, and lower costs. The upgrade of battery technology will be key to the continued expansion of the new energy vehicle market in the future.
Willow
Willow is a materials engineer with a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, specializing in lithium-ion battery materials and energy storage technologies.
Her work focuses on EV battery swapping solutions, battery innovation, and new energy industry trends, aiming to translate research insights into practical applications for sustainable transportation.
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