Electronics Weekly
“We are absolutely delighted to announce the launch of the world’s first commercial XNO Li-ion cell,” said Leclanché CEO Pierre Blanc. “XNO is set to displace the use of LTO within our product line and it will complement our current G/NMC offering as the go-to fast charging battery solution for heavy-duty applications.” – LTO is lithium titanate oxide, and G/NMC is graphite/lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide.
Named XN50, the company is estimating the cell’s life to be “more than 10,000 cycles when used in heavy-duty applications, with studies showing less than 3% capacity loss and less than 15% resistance growth after 1,000 2C/2C charge/discharge cycles at 45°C”.
Update: Leclanché promptly replied to questions from Electronics Weekly, revealing:
Energy density of the new cell is ~250Wh/litre and ~100Wh/kg, around 50% more the company’s existing 34Ah LTO, which achieves 160Wh/l and 70Wh/kg.
Power-wise, development tests have reached 6C continuous in charge and discharge, and 10C pulse charge and pulse discharge.
Better safety is claimed – why?
Niobium-based oxides have a high operating potential to inhibit the formation of lithium dendrites ensuring high safety levels
Niobium based oxides have a higher operating (intercalation) potential compared to graphite (1.55V vs. 0.005 vs. Li/Li+), which is far from the Li plating potential <0.0V vs Li/Li+), therefore, niobium based anodes and cells ensure a higher level of safety compared to cells using graphite on the anode side.
Initial samples have been sent to customers, and volume production is planned for 2025.
Established in 1909, Leclanché is still based in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, and has production facilities in Germany. It has 350 people in eight countries.
Echion is headquartered in Cambridge, UK.
