New Geely EV battery to last for 1 million kilometres and 50 years

Geely Auto has launched its next-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that will power future EVs across its broad stable and has been designed and engineered to withstand charging and driving for one million kilometres over 50 years.

Heading for brands such as Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Smart, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and many more, all of which have (or will have) a presence in Australia, the new Geely powerpack – dubbed Aegis Short Blade – is said to feature a new high-strength diaphragm design that improves both energy density and safety.

Geely says the extended life stems from using multi-element doped electrode materials, which reduce the internal chemical reaction significantly.

The company claims that its testing shows the battery can reach 3500 charging cycles, or the equivalent of 1,000,000km of driving, “with minimal impact to battery range”.

“Based on the average family driving 20,000km a year, the New Short Blade EV Battery Technology can be in service for up to 50 years, significantly extending the usage life of the battery, improving the residual value of second-hand EVs and reducing carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons a year,” Geely said in a statement.

The ‘Short Blade’ name points to the redesigned battery’s 580mm length, making it 40 per cent shorter compared to its more common 960mm-long LFP battery.

Comparing it with its current battery tech of an equivalent energy density, the new Short Blade can be recharged at a higher rate, with a top-up from 10-80 per cent taking just 17 minutes – a significant improvement on the 26min it takes to replenish an existing battery.

In cold climates, the new Short Blade battery also outperforms the Long Blade it replaces, retaining up to 90.54 per cent of its capacity at -30 degrees Celsius, compared to 78.96 per cent the current power pack retains.

Fire protection and durability is another highlight.

If the cell is punctured, for example, an internal thin aluminium foil layer is said to automatically fuse into the battery diaphragm to create a layer of insulation that protects from potential catastrophic short circuits.

During testing, the battery was punctured deliberately by eight five-inch steel needles simultaneously and then left to sit for an hour without any thermal event.

Geely says it even shot the battery with a 6.8mm bullet and didn’t record any fires.

Other durability tests included submerging the Short Blade into seawater, a fire, placing it in a freezer, conducting side-on collisions and even squashing it with a weight of around 26 tonnes.

The Chinese car giant said the battery withstood all its torture testing, outperforming existing tech.

Geely has not yet disclosed when the new Short Blade battery will enter mass production, but it’s anticipated to reach the first EVs later this year or early in 2025.

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