NanoGraf Reaches Energy-Density Milestone for its Lithium-Ion Battery Material

Record-setting breakthrough in energy density of silicon anode cells enable longer-lasting, lighter weight, and shortened charge cycles for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, military equipment and more.

CHICAGO – June 10, 2021 (9am CT) – To help us better embrace our electric future, NanoGraf, an advanced battery material company, today announced it has enabled the highest energy density 18650 cylindrical lithium-ion cell in the world – one that provides a 28 percent longer run time than traditional cell chemistries.

Aided by funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and others, NanoGraf’s team of scientists, technologists, and engineers today unveiled an 800 watt-hour per liter (Wh/L) silicon-anode based cell that provides compelling benefits for virtually any application – from consumer electronics to electric vehicle batteries to the batteries that power the equipment soldiers use during operations.

“This is a breakthrough for the battery industry,” said NanoGraf President, Dr. Kurt (Chip) Breitenkamp. “Energy density has plateaued, only increasing eight percent or so over the last decade. We just achieved a 10 percent increase in a little under a year. This is over a decade’s worth of innovation in one technology.”

Mock-up of NanoGraf 18650 NanoGraf’s 18650 cell is the most energy dense 18650 battery on the market with a performance of 3.8 Ah and 800 Wh/L

One of the biggest opportunities for more energy-dense batteries lies with electric vehicles, where “range anxiety” is a major impediment to mainstream adoption. NanoGraf’s new cell technology could immediately provide a boost to electric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model S, which would last approximately 28 percent longer on a single charge compared to similar vehicles on the road today.

In addition to commercial applications, the NanoGraf-enabled battery also dramatically improves the performance of soldier-carried military electronics and equipment. U.S. soldiers on patrol carry upwards of twenty pounds of lithium ion batteries, often the second heaviest category of equipment after body armor. NanoGraf’s batteries improve run time on U.S. soldiers’ equipment and can reduce their battery pack weights by over 15 percent.

The announcement follows a period of rapid growth for the company. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded NanoGraf a $1.65 million grant to develop longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries to power U.S. military equipment. On July 17, 2019, the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), announced the award of a $7.5 million electric vehicle battery research and development contract to NanoGraf. This contract award was enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more information about NanoGraf and its silicon-anode battery material and technology, visit www.nanograf.com.

About NanoGraf

NanoGraf is an advanced battery material company whose patented silicon-anode technology enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries. NanoGraf works with more than 50 companies, including some of the world’s leading consumer electronics, household appliance, and power tool brands, and over 12 strategic partners in electric mobility (from startups to Fortune 100s). NanoGraf is a spinout of Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory. For more information, visit www.nanograf.com.

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