Inventory of the advantages and disadvantages of ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate batteries, different scenarios have different choices

When buying new energy vehicles, it's important to consider the type and quality of the battery. Currently, ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries are the two common types of lithium-ion batteries on the market. Some consumers might wonder how to choose between them when buying a car. Today, I've compiled some of their respective advantages and disadvantages, as well as recommendations for different car usage scenarios.
 

 

Their main differences are in the following aspects:
 

1. Positive Electrode Material: The positive electrode material of ternary lithium batteries usually uses ternary materials such as nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM) or nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), while the positive electrode material of lithium iron phosphate batteries is lithium iron phosphate.
 

2. Energy Density: Ternary lithium batteries usually have higher energy density, which can provide higher battery capacity and longer driving range. In contrast, lithium iron phosphate batteries have lower energy density but offer better safety performance and longer lifespan.
 

3. Cost: The cost of ternary lithium batteries is relatively high due to the expensive metals such as cobalt and nickel used in their positive electrode materials. Lithium iron phosphate batteries are relatively low-cost because the iron and phosphorus resources in their positive electrode materials are abundant and their prices are relatively stable.
 

4. Safety: Lithium iron phosphate batteries have better stability at high temperatures and are relatively safer. Ternary lithium batteries may experience thermal runaway at high temperatures, posing certain safety risks.
 

5. Lifespan and Number of Cycles: Lithium iron phosphate batteries usually have a longer lifespan and higher number of cycles compared to ternary lithium batteries, making them better at withstanding charge and discharge cycles.

Advantages of Ternary Lithium Batteries:

1. High Energy Density: Ternary lithium batteries have higher energy density and can provide a longer driving range.
 

 

2. Good Low-Temperature Performance: In low-temperature environments, ternary lithium batteries perform relatively well and maintain higher capacity and output power.

 

3. Higher Charging Efficiency: Ternary lithium batteries have higher charging efficiency, allowing for faster charging.

Disadvantages of Ternary Lithium Batteries:

 
1. Higher Cost: Due to the use of metals such as cobalt and nickel in the positive electrode materials, ternary lithium batteries are relatively expensive.

2. Safety Issues: Under high temperature or abnormal conditions, ternary lithium batteries may experience thermal runaway, posing certain safety risks.

3. Relatively Short Lifespan: Compared to lithium iron phosphate batteries, ternary lithium batteries may have a shorter lifespan and fewer charge cycles.

 

Advantages of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries:

 
1. Good Safety: Lithium iron phosphate batteries have better stability at high temperatures, making them relatively safer and reducing the risk of thermal runaway.

2. Long Life and High Number of Cycles: These batteries have a longer lifespan, can withstand more charge and discharge cycles, and offer relatively long service life.

3. Low Cost: Due to the abundant iron and phosphorus resources in the positive electrode materials and their relatively stable prices, lithium iron phosphate batteries are cost-effective.

4. Good High-Temperature Performance: In high-temperature environments, lithium iron phosphate batteries perform well with minimal capacity loss.

 

Disadvantages of Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries:

 
1. Relatively Low Energy Density: Compared to ternary lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries have lower energy density, resulting in shorter driving range.

2. Poor Low-Temperature Performance: In low-temperature environments, the capacity and output power of lithium iron phosphate batteries decrease.

3. Large Volume: Due to the low energy density, to achieve the same amount of electricity, the volume of lithium iron phosphate batteries may be larger.

Application Scenarios:

 
1. Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery: With energy density generally between 90-120Wh/kg, these are more suitable for the powertrain of electric vehicles with higher safety but lower energy density and shorter cruising range.

2. Ternary Lithium Battery: Known for high energy density, large battery capacity, and long cruising range, but poorer safety and higher cost, generally used in high-end long-range cars
   

Many new energy models positioned in the middle and high end are equipped with ternary lithium battery packs, such as the popular AITO M7, NIO ES8, Avatr 12, and Lixiang L9.
 

Some high-end new energy models are equipped with lithium iron phosphate battery packs, such as the Yangwang U8.
 

Additionally, many models offer both ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate battery packs for customers to choose from, such as the Tesla Model Y and the newly announced Xiaomi SU7.