Explainer | Electric vehicle batteries: the Li-ion packs that power global marquees from Tesla to Volkswagen and BYD

Four major variants that currently power EVs on the road are known as NCM, NCA, LFP and sodium-ion packs

Tesla supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology plans to go big on sodium-ion batteries, which offer low-temperature and fast-charging advantages

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Electric vehicle lithium battery pack and power connections. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:00am, 31 Oct 2021Updated: 3:38pm, 31 Oct 2021

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries will be in high demand over the next decade, as carmakers ramp up production and the carbon neutrality era draws nearer.

A total of 145 million EVs are expected to hit the roads in 2030, a massive jump from 10 million in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency.

Ryan Castilloux, managing director of Adamas Intelligence, forecasts a “tsunami of demand” from EV manufacturers, which would then ratchet up pressure on battery companies and their supply chain.

Lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries are widely used by global carmakers to power their EVs. In a li-ion battery, lithium ions move from the negative electrode through an electrolyte to the positive electrode during discharge, and back the other way when charging.

Electric vehicle battery installation in China in megawatt-hour, as of September 2021.

Batteries are usually named after their cathode materials. Here are the four variants that power the EVs on the road today and in the future.

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