According to Lyten, Stellantis and other top US and EU automakers have received samples of the company’s 6.5 Ah (C/3 discharge rate, 25 °C) lithium-sulfur pouch cells for assessment.
Lithium-sulfur batteries are made by Lyten in pouch and cylindrical forms (2170 and 18650). The 6.5 Ah pouch cell type is presently being shipped for customer assessment. Lyten intends to deliver cylindrical A samples for analysis later this year. Beyond the automobile industry, Lyten’s versatility in the lithium-sulfur format makes it useful in a variety of other fields, such as consumer electronics, micromobility, space, aerospace, and drones.
In addition to delivering cells to the Department of Defense in May, the company has already supplied samples to a significant US consumer electronics company. In the second and third quarters of 2024, it hopes to give samples to over 20 potential clients for commercial review.
Dan Cook, Lyten CEO and Co-Founder, said that this milestone is the result of years of dedicated work and innovation from the Lyten team.
Lyten’s automated pilot line in San Jose, California, debuted in May 2023 and produces lithium-sulfur A samples. The pilot line was developed using normal lithium-ion equipment and manufacturing techniques, demonstrating Lyten’s lithium-sulfur cells’ scalable manufacturability. The San Jose production line will deliver B samples to auto OEMs as well as commercial cells to non-EV clients in lower quantities. Lyten is currently designing its first giga-scale plant with Turner Construction and SSOE to manufacture car C samples and beyond.
Celina Mikolajczak, Chief Battery Technology Officer at Lyten, stated that the world needs a practical, mass market battery, and that is what they are building with lithium-sulfur technology. She added that mass market electrification and net zero goals demand higher energy density, lighter weight, and lower cost batteries that can be fully sourced and manufactured at massive scale using abundantly available local materials.
Lithium-Sulfur is seen as a leapfrog battery technology, capable of delivering double the energy density of existing NMC batteries while maintaining materials and production costs comparable to low-cost LFP. The Li-S cathode is composed of plentiful sulfur and Lyten’s patented 3D graphene, which is obtained by collecting carbon from methane. This reduces the requirement for essential minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the cathode. The Li-S anode is a lithium metal composite that replaces the requirement for graphite. The absence of key minerals results in a projected 65%+ reduced carbon footprint than lithium-ion batteries, as well as a supply chain that can be fully sourced on a large scale in the United States or Europe.
