Battery cells in electrical energy storage systems are currently the most expensive part in an electric vehicle and will be in the upcoming years. The central challenge of the electric mobility is the increase of the energy density with a simultaneous cost reduction. Novel anode and cathode materials as well as an optimization of the production processes are necessary for this purpose. The “Centre of Excellence for Battery Cells at the Technical University of Munich” has built up competences in battery production, so that the entire process chain is managed by four research groups of the TUM: Chair for Technical Electrochemistry, Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz, Chair of Electrical Energy Storage Technology, Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management.

Within the framework of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funding initiative "Competence Cluster for Battery Materials (ExcellBattMat)", the research focus at the ExcellentBattery Centre Munich lies on the material, chemical and electrochemical characterization and analysis as well as the modelling of next-generation anode and cathode materials. On the cathode side, the focus is on overlithiated and low-cobalt or cobalt-free NCM materials. These so-called HE-NCM cathodes are combined with silicon anodes.

Further development of electrochemical models offers an opportunity for characterization and analysis of lithium-ion cells with next generation anode and cathode materials. The results can directly be fed into the BMBF innovation pipeline (ProZell cluster) in order to enhance the production of next generation lithium-ion cells and strengthen the battery production in Germany. New findings will help to understand the aging mechanisms of anodes with a high silicon content (≈70%) in large-sized lithium-ion cells and bring silicon anodes further towards a commercialization.

This research project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Project number 03XP0255). The responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the author.