Chinese researchers achieved a lithium battery with an unprecedented energy density in 2023. This is where the promising technology stands now
The 2023 breakthrough moved the needle towards more efficient energy storage solutions and opened new avenues in electric aviation and deep space explorations. What has happened since then?
Published on January 18, 2025
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Bart is the co-founder and co-owner of Media52 (publishing IO+) and a Professor of Journalism at the University of Groningen. He is responsible for all the branches of our company—IO+, events, and Laio—and focuses on commercial opportunities. A journalist at heart, he also keeps writing as many stories as he can.
In a groundbreaking feat, researchers at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, achieved a lithium battery with an unprecedented energy density of 711.30 Wh/kg in early 2023. It meant they could triple Tesla's existing standard. We published about this astonishing result on Innovation Origins, IO+'s predecessor. We're almost two years further; where's the technology now?
The 2023 breakthrough moved the needle towards more efficient energy storage solutions and opened new avenues in electric aviation and deep space explorations. By expanding the charge and discharge potential of lithium-rich manganese-based oxides, the researchers increased storage capacity, promising to revolutionize industries reliant on high-density energy solutions. However, challenges remained, such as improving the battery's safety and lifespan for extensive real-world applications. As the quest for sustainable energy advances, this development holds the key to future technological innovations in mobility and renewable energy solutions, demonstrating the potential to significantly impact electric vehicle range and performance.
Technical breakthrough and implementation
The achievement marked a significant leap in battery technology, with the new design delivering a volumetric energy density of 1653.65 Wh/L during initial discharge. This groundbreaking performance relies on innovative strategies, including the use of high-capacity lithium-rich manganese-based cathodes and an ultrathin metal lithium anode. The engineering team employed a specialized separator coating technique to achieve reversible deposition of ultrathin lithium with a large surface capacity. They created an extremity battery structure that significantly outperforms conventional designs by minimizing auxiliary materials while maximizing active materials proportion. Since the early 1990s, the average lithium-ion battery energy density has evolved from 80 Wh/kg to approximately 300 Wh/kg, making this new achievement particularly remarkable.
Breakthrough: solid-state battery hits 25% energy density gain
A European consortium announced the release of a solid-state battery capable of providing a higher energy efficiency than lithium-ion modules.
Market developments
So where are we now? The battery technology landscape has rapidly advanced, with multiple players pushing energy density boundaries. Most visible are the attempts to transform the Chinese findings into real-life, workable applications. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) announced plans to produce semi-solid condensed matter batteries with 500 Wh/kg energy density. By late 2024, global demand for lithium-ion batteries surpassed 1 TWh per year, so every battery company is eager to achieve higher densities.
Most extreme at this point in time is the Japanese company TDK, which has claimed advancement in solid-state battery technology, achieving a 1,000 Wh/L energy density, as reported by the Financial Times. It remains difficult to find proof of this outside TDK. These developments occur against increasing market competition and technological innovation, with global production capacity now exceeding demand.
Real-world testing and implementation
Practical applications of high-density batteries are already being tested. In December 2024, Chinese scientists successfully demonstrated a 400 Wh/kg energy density lithium battery in a composite-wing drone, achieving three-hour flight times. The battery demonstrated remarkable performance across temperatures from -40°C to 60°C. Recent research has also shown progress in addressing key challenges, mainly through innovative coating technologies. The development of MoS2 coatings has improved cycling stability and performance for lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, achieving a discharge-specific capacity of 227.69 mAh g⁻¹ at 1C current density.
European battery ecosystem gets a boost with Chinese partnership
Norwegian Elinor Batteries started a strategic partnership with Chinese Morlus Technology, in a move to bolster European battery ecosystem.
Safety and longevity developments
Recent advances in solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) address critical safety concerns. This month, January 2025, research demonstrates significant progress in dendrite-free lithium metal batteries, with new Mg-MOF-based systems showing stable performance for over 3000 hours with a low overpotential of 35 mV. These developments achieve ionic conductivity of 5.2 × 10−4 S·cm−1 at 60°C, representing crucial progress in battery safety and longevity. The integration of advanced materials and coating technologies has led to improved thermal stability and broader electrochemical windows up to 5.0V, addressing key challenges in the commercialization of high-energy-density batteries.