Reality Check:
Before getting your hopes up, there’s this:
“"The main limitation is the relatively low ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte," said Liang. "So the power density is lower than Li-ion batteries, but it can be improved with a better solid electrolyte. Moreover, the ceramic structure is brittle, and much optimization is needed."
So while there’s certainly some promise in this direction (evidently the S-Li with liquid electrolyte have been used for solar aircraft batteries for awhile now), it’ll probably not be an affordable option for the large format batteries we need with our boats. I haven’t read anything yet that reveals the vulnerability of this chemistry to over- or under-charge either, whether a cell’s cycle life ends when that happens (as with many Lithium chemistries) or what. Also, if BMS requirements (and costs) for Lithium have partially kept you from going that direction, then imagine having 2x the number of BMS monitors for S-Li since the voltage per cell is roughly half that of Li-Ion.
Finally, while a 4x boost in energy density is nice, neither energy density nor power density nor cycle life have been motivation enough for most of us E-boat enthusiasts to even adopt the now widely available Lithium options. Most of us sit on the fence waiting for better pricing and say “heck, I have enough range and have enough fun with my old lead acid pack---why spend $2-4k for range I’ll rarely need and cycle life I’ll never use in my lifetime?” If large format S-Li were manufactured today with equivalent power density and 4x the energy density as lithium, the price per kwh would likely be greater than the Lithium options today, which is what 40-60cents/watt-hr or so? Even at the same cost, what’s the motivator for electric boat enthusiasts unless you have deep pockets or need ultimate performance or range? I do see this as a game changer for electric car manufacturers.
I’m getting very close to adding lithium to my boat, but I do have great difficulty justifying it.
-Myles Twete, Portland, Or.
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