POSCO Future M Completes 'Cathode Material Portfolio' Covering Entry to Premium Electric Vehicles

Completion of Cathode Material Portfolio for All EV Segments
Meeting Diverse Customer Demands to Strengthen Business Competitiveness

POSCO Future M has strengthened its strategy to target the premium electric vehicle (EV) market and now possesses a battery cathode material portfolio capable of covering the standard and entry-level EV markets as well.

A researcher at POSCO Future M is examining the crystal structure of ultra high-nickel cathode material. POSCO Future M

On August 21, POSCO Future M announced that it has successfully completed pilot development of ultra high-nickel cathode materials for premium EVs and high-voltage mid-nickel cathode materials. Currently, POSCO Future M produces and supplies premium cathode materials centered on high-nickel products with a nickel content of over 80%. By supplying these newly developed materials for mass production, the company expects to further strengthen its business competitiveness in the cathode materials market by meeting diverse customer demands.

The ultra high-nickel cathode material increases nickel content to over 95%, thereby maximizing energy density and driving range for premium applications. POSCO Future M is developing this material to supply not only premium EVs in major advanced markets such as the United States and Europe, but also urban air mobility (UAM), which is gaining attention as a future mode of transportation. As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in mobility expands and autonomous driving performance advances, large amounts of electricity will be essential, leading to a significant increase in demand for ultra high-nickel cathode materials that maximize energy density.

Although ultra high-nickel cathode materials have relatively low thermal stability and shorter battery lifespan due to their high nickel content, POSCO Future M has secured the required performance by combining single-crystal materials-where key raw materials are integrated into a single particle structure-with existing polycrystalline materials. Single-crystal materials have a robust particle structure, resulting in fewer cracks during charging and discharging. Additional improvements in structural stability were achieved by adding secondary raw materials and coating the material surface. The company has also enhanced cost competitiveness by improving productivity in the calcination process.

POSCO Future M has also completed pilot development of high-voltage mid-nickel cathode materials aimed at the standard EV market. This material lowers the expensive nickel content to around 60%, and addresses the resulting decrease in energy density by enabling higher voltage operation. By increasing the manganese ratio and applying single-crystal technology, the company has minimized contraction and expansion during charging and discharging, thereby improving safety. Additionally, by using pore-free precursors in manufacturing, reducing the proportion of expensive nickel and cobalt in the raw material mix, and replacing lithium hydroxide with more affordable lithium carbonate, the company has enhanced price competitiveness.

Following the pilot development of ultra high-nickel and high-voltage mid-nickel cathode materials, POSCO Future M plans to secure mass production technology to ensure timely production and supply in response to requests from domestic and international automakers and battery manufacturers.

Previously, in May, as global automakers such as General Motors (GM) and Ford announced plans to adopt lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, POSCO Future M, together with POSCO Holdings Future Technology Research Institute, which oversees POSCO Group’s research and development (R&D), also completed pilot development of LMR cathode materials and plans to secure mass production technology within the year. LMR cathode materials can be produced using existing cathode production lines and, unlike lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials, offer superior recycling value, making them a promising next-generation material expected to rapidly replace LFP in the entry-level EV market.

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