The Carbon-Neutral Goal in China for the Electric Vehicle Industry with Solid-State Battery’s Contribution in 2035 to 2045

Abstract

New energy vehicles and solid-state batteries (SSBs) will help to reduce the carbon footprint by up to 103% if fully commercialized and installed by 2035. This research collected market data on China’s E-car power batteries in the production phase from the past five years to the next 25 years in order to calculate the carbon emission reduction ratio achieved by new electric vehicles’ (EVs) power batteries. Using SimaPro software, analysis results reveal that among seven types of batteries, lithium iron phosphate (LFP), cobalt manganese oxide (NCM-811) batteries, and SSBs have the lowest production carbon footprint values of 44, 51.1, and 43.7 kgCO2e, respectively. When compared to LFP and NCM batteries, SSBs have the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of EV batteries by up to 39%. So, SSBs will have a higher market value and installed capacity, accounting for 65% of all batteries by 2040, which can prove the significance of new energy vehicles in reducing carbon emissions in the transportation field. Finally, the five technical and economic characteristics (cost competitiveness, cycle life, C-rate, energy density, and safety) of LFP-based lithium-ion battery (LIB), NMC-811, and lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) based on SSBs batteries are summarized. The promise of the SSBs’ energy density and safety has prompted several automakers to invest in NCM-811 and LFP technologies. The cost of SSBs per kWh will eventually be lower than that of its counterparts once supply chains are established. This is because the material cost is reduced when using solid-state electrolytes with higher energy density. After all, less raw material is required per kWh.