OneD Battery Sciences Announces Breakthrough Silicon EV Battery Technology called ‘SINANODE'

author: Eric Walz   

Palo Alto, Calif-based battery developer OneD Sciences announced today a breakthrough battery technology its calls SINANODE, which has the potential to greatly increase the energy density of electric vehicle batteries.

The breakthrough SINANODE technology adds more energy-dense silicon nanowires onto positively charged graphite anodes in a battery during the manufacturing process. It's applied as a coating. OneD Battery Science says the process triples the energy density of the anode while halving its production costs per kWh.

The higher energy density increases an EV's range while the silicon nanowires formed on the anode surface shorten charging times. It will allow automakers to use smaller batteries for their vehicles without sacrificing range or power.

The company said it successfully fused silicon nanowires onto commercial graphite battery anode materials from multiple suppliers and was able to triple the anode's energy capacity. 

OneD Sciences says that adding SINANODE replaces inefficient steps in the current processing of silicon additives with a scalable technology that increases performance and decreases manufacturing costs of the materials and cells used in EV batteries.

The silicon-based anode coatings can also be applied using existing battery production lines, which allow the technology to scale to meet demand as automakers produce more electric vehicles. The technology enables EV manufacturers to dramatically increase the use of nanosilicon in the anodes of lithium-ion batteries, which can lead to more affordable EVs.

"EV demand will be driven by range, charge time, and cost, and our SINANODE technology addresses each of these purchase drivers in a significant way. Bottom line, 2025 winners of the EV race will be powered by the only technology equipped to get the most silicon into the battery," said Vincent Pluvinage, CEO, OneD Battery Sciences.

The use of silicon nanotechnology also improves "solid-electrolyte-interphase" (SEI) & cycle life. SEI is a process in which a microscopic coating forms on the electrode surfaces inside the battery from the decomposition of the electrolytes, which are created from repeated cycles of recharging and discharging. 

SEI is considered a part of a new battery's "break-in process," which helps batteries maintain their charge. However its formation is actually considered a defect of modern EV batteries, contributing to electrode surface instability, which leads to battery degradation over time.

SINANODE was developed to work with commercial industrial coating machines from multiple vendors. It's composed of only silane (silicon and hydrogen) and nitrogen gases, so it can be produced and applied at very low cost. It can decrease the cost of EV anodes (measured in $ per kWh) by almost 50% than the ones used today to produce EV batteries, according to OneD Sciences.

A typical EV battery costs roughly $156 per kWh to produce, according to data from BloombergNEF which tracks industry production costs. Although this price has dropped considerably over the past decade, at this price, a typical 75 kWh EV battery costs around $11,700, which is why electric vehicles cost so much more than internal combustion engine vehicles.

However as new battery chemistries and manufacturing efficiencies are being developed, that price is dropping. The goal for the industry is to bring down production costs to $100 per kWh or less, which is widely viewed as the point where an electric vehicle will cost about the same as an internal combustion engine vehicle, which can lead to widespread EV adoption.

"During this decade, we will witness the largest and fastest transformation of a global industry that's ever been seen, and the decisions made today will determine which car makers come out on top of a market poised to bring in over $6 trillion between 2025 and 2030 alone," said Pluvinage.

The company also announced several pilot programs with EV OEMs to deploy the SINANODE process, creating different nanosilicon configurations for high-performance lithium ion EV batteries.

OneD Sciences also announced the hiring of Fabrice Hudry as Chief Commercial Officer. He will be in charge of SINANODE production as the company begins the deployment of pilot production facilities and partnerships. Hudry previously worked at battery maker Samsung SDI as Vice President of Energy Solutions. Samsung SDI is one of the world's biggest producers of lithium ion batteries. 

"What Silicon nanowires can do for the electric car battery is simply remarkable, and represents the most long-awaited innovation for the industry," said Hudry. I've explored the future of battery technology and believe SINANODE is the only technology that will pave the road for a realistic solid-state electrolyte battery transition."

The development of the silicon coatings work has been going on for the past eight years. OneD Battery Sciences acquired the technology and its R&D work from a company named Nanosys in 2013. 

OneD Sciences has over 200 patents and applications in large scale anode production and next generation EV battery designs.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.