Enhance the Market Competitiveness of Electric Vehicles by Improving the Design of Lithium-ion Batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly popular because they are energy efficient and capable of providing a good driving experience. However, the performance and market competitiveness of electric vehicles has been limited by a series of shortcomings, which are mainly caused by the limitations of the power source, lithium-ion batteries. To address these problems from the origin, this research analysed the causes of these problems and proposed some possible solutions based on the characteristics and working principles of lithium-ion batteries. The limitations of electric vehicles such as safety issues, low range, high cost, and limited life span are all proved to be related to the EV batteries. Lithium-ion batteries used by electric vehicles have the risk of fire and explosion when broken, overcharged, or exposed to high temperatures. The capacity and life span of them can easily be affected by different factors, which leads to the dissatisfaction of customers with the range and EV batteries’ life span. Furthermore, the production of lithium-ion batteries is very costly. Different ways to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries are collected and evaluated. Finally, it is concluded that Li-S batteries and lithium titanate batteries are likely to become the solutions to what limited the development of electric vehicles. Since Li-S batteries and lithium titanate batteries still have some disadvantages, researchers should manage to tackle them in the future before they can be widely applied. This paper provides directions for the future development of EV batteries to improve the market competitiveness of electric vehicles.