Future in Battery Production: An Extensive Benchmarking of Novel Production Technologies as Guidance for Decision Making in Engineering

Abstract

Due to the rising interest in electric vehicles, the demand for more efficient battery cells is increasing rapidly. To support this trend, battery cells must become much cheaper and 'greener.' Energy consumption during production is a major driver of cost and CO2 emissions. The drying production step is one of the major energy consumers and cost drivers. The technological approach of 'dry coating' allows the energy-intensive drying step to be eliminated for significant energy and cost savings. However, there are numerous emerging dry coating technologies that differ significantly in physics, chemistry, and readiness levels. Moreover, typical methodological procedures for technology selection remain less applicable to the early stages of technological development. Both issues raise the questions, 'What is the most promising dry coating technology?' and 'How do we identify it?' To answer these questions, a comprehensive, systematic technology benchmark was conducted. Following a four-step analytical approach, based on the nominal group technique, qualitative content analysis, and multicriteria decision analysis, different dry coating technologies were identified, analyzed, and cross-compared. This was performed qualitatively and quantitatively. We also forecast which factor will impact the application of the most promising technologies for CO2 emission rate reductions and cost savings in 2030. In summary, four different technologies were identified with a high chance of technological breakthrough within the next 3-5 years. By applying these technologies, 4.76 million tons of CO2 could be saved per year by 2030.