"Start of Development for Lithium Metal Battery with 5-Minute Charge and 600km Driving Range"

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology Starts Samsung Future Technology Fostering Project
Research to Double the Energy Density of Electric Vehicle Batteries

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Development of lithium metal batteries capable of driving 600km with a 5-minute charge is set to begin. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced on the 19th that it has embarked on a next-generation electric vehicle battery development project.

Lithium metal batteries use lithium metal as the anode. The research team plans to develop batteries that are lighter and have twice the energy density compared to the lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles.

Professor Kyungmin Jeong, the lead researcher, stated, "Through current simulations, we have obtained results indicating that lithium metal batteries with an energy density of 900~1000Wh/L can be realized," adding, "If the research progresses smoothly, we expect the commercialization of electric vehicle batteries capable of driving up to 600km with a 5-minute charge to be possible."

The research team will conduct studies covering the entire battery development process, including the development of new materials for lithium metal battery commercialization, catalysts, electrolytes, electrode technologies, and battery systems.

The electric vehicle battery dream team is participating in the research. Professors Kyungmin Jeong and Namsun Choi from UNIST’s Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Professor Pilgeon Oh from Pukyong National University’s Department of Printing Information Engineering, and Professor Yoonkook Son from Chosun University’s Department of Electrical Engineering will conduct the research over the next two years with funding of 1 billion KRW.

This research was selected as a new project under the Samsung Future Technology Development Program in June and began this month. The Samsung Future Technology Development Program is a science and technology research support initiative funded by Samsung Electronics to promote basic science advancement and industrial technology innovation. A total of 28 projects were selected in the first half of this year. At UNIST, three projects, including Professor Kyungmin Jeong’s, were selected.

Professor Jeong said, "The goal is to enable mass production of high-capacity batteries by utilizing the existing domestic battery production infrastructure and manufacturing technologies as much as possible," adding, "We plan to pursue research that can make a practical contribution to advancing the battery industry to the next level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.