Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries: Trends and Progress in Electric Vehicles

Lithium-ion batteries are the most promising among the secondary battery technologies, for providing high energy and high power required for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV). Lithium-ion batteries consist of conventional graphite or lithium titanate as anode and lithium transition metal-oxides as cathode. A lithium salt dissolved in an aprotic solvent such as ethylene carbonate and diethylene carbonate is used as electrolyte. This rechargeable battery operates based on the principle of electrochemical lithium insertion/re-insertion or intercalation/de-intercalation during charging/discharging of the battery. It is essential that both electrodes have layered structure which should accept and release the lithium-ion. In advanced lithium-ion battery technologies, other than layered anodes are also considered. High cell voltage, high capacity as well as energy density, high Columbic efficiency, long cycle life, and convenient to fabricate any size or shape of the battery, are the vital features of this battery technology. Lithium-ion batteries are already being used widely in most of the consumer electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, PDAs etc. and are in early stages of application in HEV and EV, which will have far and wide implications and benefits to society. The book contains ten chapters, each focusing on a specific topic pertaining to the application of lithium-ion batteries in Electric Vehicles. Basic principles, electrode materials, electrolytes, high voltage cathodes, recycling spent Li-ion batteries and battery charge controller are addressed. This book is unique among the countable books focusing on the lithium-ion battery technologies for vehicular applications. It provides fundamentals and practical knowledge on the lithium-ion battery for vehicular application. Students, scholars, academicians, and battery and automobile industries will find this volume useful.