Knowledge-based improvements of Li-ion battery cost, performance, recyclabiKnowledge-based improvements of Li-ion battery cost, performance, recyclability and safety are needed to enable electric vehicles to rapidly gain market share and reduce CO2 emissions. SPIDER’s advanced, low-cost (75 €/kWh by 2030) battery technology is predicted to bring energy density to ~ 450 Wh/kg by 2030 and power density to 800 W/kg. It operates at a lower, and thus safer, voltage, which enables the use of novel, highly conductive and intrinsically safe liquid electrolytes.

Safety concerns will be further eliminated (or strongly reduced), as thermal energy dissipation will be reduced to 4 kW/kg, and thermal runaway temperature increased to over 200°C. Moreover, SPIDER overcomes one of the main Li-ion ageing mechanisms for silicon based anodes: notably, the loss of cyclable lithium, which should increase lifetime to 2000 cycles by 2022 for first life applications with further usefulness up to 5000 cycles in second life (stationary energy storage).

In addition, SPIDER’s classic cell manufacturing process with liquid electrolyte will be readily transferable to industry, unlike solid electrolyte designs, which still require the development of complex manufacturing processes.

Finally, SPIDER batteries will be designed to be 60% recyclable by weight, and a dedicated recycling process will be developed and evaluated during SPIDER. In addition, SPIDER materials significantly reduce the use of critical raw materials.

Finally, four SPIDER partners are identified by the European Battery Alliance as central and strategic for the creation of the needed European battery value chain: SGL, NANO, VMI & SOLVAY. In conclusion, SPIDER proposes a real breakthrough in battery chemistry that can be readily adopted within a sustainable, circular economy by a competitive, European battery value chain to avoid foreign market dependence and to capture the emerging 250 billion € battery market in Europe.