Ionblox, the Fremont-based EV battery startup, proudly announced on February 8 the successful second closing of its Series B round at an increased amount of $32 million, per the press release. The company plans to use the fresh funds to expand its li-ion battery tech, allowing high-speed charging of 80% in 10 minutes.
Notably, the company’s initial investors Temasek and Catalus Capital, joined original investors Lilium and Applied Ventures as strategic partners. With the additional Series B capital, Ionblox will expand its existing battery tech for eVTOLs and EVs.
“The Ionblox technology enables one of the highest performance cells for eVTOL aircraft existing today and we’re proud to partner with Ionblox for our conforming aircraft.”
Yves Yemsi, Lilium CEO
Super-fast, potent batteries for eVTOLs and EVs
Ionblox develops and produces a next-generation EV battery that allows super-fast charging for electric cars and eVTOLs. It is presently using its pilot production lines to manufacture big format pouch cells with a capacity of up to 50Ah.
As per the startup, its li-ion batteries are equipped with pre-lithiated silicon dominant anodes. With this technology, their products can deliver the following advancements:
· increased energy density by 50%
· five times as much energy
· super-fast charge that allows 80% in 10 minutes
Remarkably, the company plans to expand its technology and develop innovative high-power cells for eVTOLs, and fast-charge cell prototypes for EVs.
“We are commercializing next-generation lithium-ion batteries with pre-lithiated silicon dominant anodes in order to transform the future of electric mobility. The funding from this round will enable us to take an important step in our journey to scale our technology and set up our own cell manufacturing in the U.S. and other key markets.”
Sujeet Kumar, Ionblox CEO
You can check Ionblox’s cell characteristics on the image attached to the Tweet below:
Advantages of a li-ion battery with pre-lithiated silicon dominant anode
For those unaware, silicon is the primary component of the anode in li-ion batteries, with pre-lithiated silicon dominating anodes. In contrast, the anode in traditional li-ion batteries is comprised of graphite.
That said, Ionblox bonds a minimal amount of lithium and silicon to develop a pre-lithiated silicon-dominant anode material, as explained by Electrek.
Interestingly, a larger lithium storage capacity is one of the advantages of using silicon-dominant anode instead of graphite. The distinct composition enables the battery’s energy density to increase.
Furthermore, pre-lithiated silicon anodes decrease the possibility of lithium metal accumulation, which increases the battery’s average life.
However, it must also be noted that pre-lithiated silicon anodes have a lower conductivity than graphite. They can also degrade mechanically during numerous charge and discharge cycles. In effect, the overall performance and efficiency of the battery may deteriorate.
Nonetheless, a study released on May 2022 argued that pre-lithiated silicon anodes are an effective method for enhancing li-ion battery performance, despite the disadvantages.
“Silicon-based anode is considered to be the most promising anode candidate for lithium-ion batteries due to its high energy density, environmental friendliness, and high content in the earth’s crust.”
Fei Wang’s research team
