A Timely Review of Lithium-ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles: Progress, Future Opportunities, and Challenges

Energy plays an important role in human society. With the development of science and technology, the increasing demand for new energy like electric energy cannot be ignored. The battery is the key component of electric vehicles which are the centers of future development. Lithium-ion batteries have great advantages in electric vehicle applications for their excellent performance. We need to find ways to improve lithium-ion batteries to promote the development of electric vehicles fundamentally. The high specific energy, low self-discharge, good cycling performance, no memory effect, and other advantages lead to the excellent performance of lithium-ion batteries. This paper reviews the unique merits of lithium-ion batteries compared with other important battery technologies in electric vehicle application in three main aspects and describes some methods to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries by improving the anode, cathode, and electrolyte, respectively. For instance, we can use LiNi_1-x-yCo_xMn_yO₂ (NCM) materials as cathode, silicon-based materials as anode with composite materials like FeOOH@rGO and SiNP@NC add more silicon in the composite anode structure and silicon nanowire anode to improve its mechanical stability. Also, with an example of their employment in the BMW i3 94 Ah vehicles, the application outlook of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and their development trend in the future have been prospected. Although electric vehicles are becoming the ideal next-generation vehicles with the increasing environmental friendliness, the battery technology, such as its safety problem and the manufacturing cost, etc., remains a big challenge in the development of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.