The new material could serve as a “drop-in” upgrade for existing iron phosphate-based materials in cells using existing electrolyte and anode combinations.

While researchers around the world are making steady progress in many EV-related fields, the area that is the most critical (the Holy Grail, if you aren’t sick of that term yet) can be summed up in two words: energy density. At Dow Energy Materials (DEM), a business unit of Dow Chemical, the focus is on improving energy density by improving the basic chemistry of battery materials. DEM has developed a new material, Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP), which offers energy density in the 150+ Wh/g range, an increase of 10-15% over iron phosphate (LFP) material.

DEM’s David Klanecky: “One of [our] key focuses is how we can double the energy density from what there is today. Our strategy is to focus on the combination of anode, cathode and electrolyte – all have to work together. There definitely has to be the breakthrough, the continual development of material to really drive down the cost. Scale is a factor [for cost reduction] but not as big as the general improvement in materials themselves.”