What is the price of lithium batteries and what factors affect the price of lithium batteries?

I. Composition of Lithium Battery Prices

The price of lithium batteries is mainly composed of three major components: the battery cells, the protection board, and the casing. Meanwhile, due to the power consumption and current size of the electrical appliances, the selection of the material for the connection plates between the battery cells (such as conventional nickel plates, formed nickel plates, copper-nickel composite plates, jumper plates, etc.) can affect the cost. Different connectors (such as special plugs, ranging from tens of yuan to thousands of yuan) may also have a significant impact on the cost. Additionally, different PACK processes can also influence the cost.

II. Factors Affecting the Price of Lithium Batteries

Selection of battery cells

The selection of different material system cells will affect the price of the entire lithium battery. Lithium batteries, based on different cathode materials, have various material system cells such as lithium manganate (3.6V), lithium cobalt oxide (3.7V/3.8V), lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (commonly known as ternary, 3.6V), lithium iron phosphate (3.2V), and lithium titanate (2.3V/2.4V). The cells of different material systems have different voltage platforms, safety factors, cycle usage times, energy density ratios, and operating temperatures.

Secondly, the prices of battery cells from different brands can vary greatly. Generally, the price range can be classified as follows: special battery cells (including ultra-low temperature, ultra-high temperature, ultra-high rate, and irregular-shaped cells), Japanese brands (Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony), Korean brands (Samsung, LG), and Chinese brands (Chinese brands can be further divided into first-tier brands (Lishen, BAK, BYD, ATL), second-tier brands, and even down to fifth and sixth-tier brands). Even for battery cells with the same material system but from different brands, the price difference can be significant. Moreover, the quality (safety, consistency, and stability) of battery cells from various brands that have survived market competition is basically proportional to their prices.

2. Demand and Design of Lithium Battery PCM

The PCM design can be classified into: basic protection, communication, and BMS.

Basic protection: Basic protection includes overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent and short-circuit protection. Over-temperature protection can be added according to product requirements.

Communication: Communication protocols can be classified as I2C, RS485, RS232, CANBUS, HDQ, SMBUS, etc. Additionally, for simple battery level indication, a battery meter can be used with LED indicators.

BMS: BMS is the abbreviation of the first letters of BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, which is called the battery management system. It is also commonly referred to as the battery nanny or battery butler. Its main purpose is to intelligently manage and maintain each battery cell, prevent overcharging and overdischarging of the battery, extend the battery's service life, and monitor the battery's status. Its main functions include: real-time monitoring of battery physical parameters; battery state estimation; online diagnosis and early warning; charge and discharge and pre-charge control; balance management and thermal management, etc. This system is mostly applied to electric vehicle batteries.

3. Demand and Design of Lithium Battery Shells

The design of lithium battery casings can be classified into: PVC heat-sealing, plastic, and metal.

PVC heat sealing: The specific type of enclosure used for the battery pack mainly depends on the specific requirements of the customer's product. For the PVC heat sealing packaging form, it is generally suitable for cases where the number of series and parallel cells is not large and the overall weight is relatively light (≤ 2kg). However, for battery packs with an overall weight of ≥ 1kg, fixed brackets need to be added between the cells, and fiberglass plates need to be added for protection on the periphery before PVC heat sealing can be used.

Plastic: Plastic shells are used. Mainly, after different battery packs are shaped, the shells involved may need to be molded, and the mold cost is a considerable expense. If in the early stage of development, the product is not yet finalized, a handboard shell sample can be used (the strength of the handboard is not as good as that of the material after molding and shaping). Different requirements for the material and process of the shell (especially those with three-proof requirements) will also affect the cost.

Metal: For metal casings, just like plastic casings, if the product is not yet finalized or the quantity required is not large, it is recommended to use sheet metal prototyping. This is mainly because the prototyping lead time is shorter. If the batch size is large, it is also recommended to open a mold. For metal casings with waterproofing requirements, it will significantly affect the cost. Additionally, for special material metal casings such as titanium alloy, the cost will be even higher.

The cost of lithium batteries is mainly composed of cells, PCMs, and structural components. Additionally, the enterprise's packaging fees, aging fees, management fees, etc. need to be included. At the same time, due to the different technical difficulties of the products, the purchase volume, and the requirements for defect rates, the prices of lithium batteries can vary greatly!