Samsung Unveils New Electric Car Batteries for up to 430 Miles of Range

Samsung’s battery division, Samsung SDI, has showcased a new “multi-function battery pack” that enables more range in electric vehicles: users can change the number of modules as they want as if they place books on a shelf. For example, if 20 modules are installed in a premium car, it can go 372 to 434 miles. If 10 to 12 modules are mounted on a regular sedan, it can run up to 186 miles.

Samsung SDI also exhibited another breakthrough product called “Low Heightcell.” This cell can reduce the height of space for batteries inside a vehicle by applying a cell with a height reduction of up to 20% compared to existing cells. When the height of space for battery loading is reduced, space utilization becomes easy and EVs of various designs can be developed. Moreover, Samsung SDI introduced “21700 Cell and Module,” a new standard model among circular batteries.

Galaxy Note 7.

cageymaru said:

Galaxy Note 7.

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You forgot the mike drop!
I did think pretty much the same thing though. The Note 7 flaw was due to trying to cram too much battery into not enough case

I don't know why more interest isn't in quick swapping of batteries. Like what you can do with propane tanks at stores. Tesla even ran a demo that it takes less time to swap a battery in their S with some automation than it does to fill up a sedan.



EDIT: A closeup from someone in the audience.

CombatChrisNC said:

I don't know why more interest isn't in quick swapping of batteries. Like what you can do with propane tanks at stores. Tesla even ran a demo that it takes less time to swap a battery in their S with some automation than it does to fill up a sedan.

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I like that idea. We are used to "battery swap" with many electronic devices. People who use high drain devices (cameras, video recorders, etc.,) normally carry at least one if not more fully charged battery sets when they know they are going to be out for a while.

On the down side, I do not see this happening unless electric car batteries all follow an interchangeable standard. Just like you can get AA or C cell batteries just about anywhere, even if it's a cheap knock-off brand, you know you can hop into just about any store and get some for your device. On the automobile front, it doesn't matter if you have a Ford, Chevy, Toyota, or any other ICE vehicle, the same gasoline works in them all (*yes, I know some cars are designed for E85, some require higher octane, etc. etc., but those are specialty cases). For mass adoption of electric vehicles, standardized, quick swap batteries could usher in a new "boom" product sector.

Easily swappable batteries, just think of possibilities.

Once these are standardized and the batteries start to need replacement, they will become a huge target for thief.

Imagine waking up in the morning and finding someone stole $10,000 worth of batteries from your car last night.
When gas hit $4.50/gallon, people where drilling holes in gas tanks to steal $70 worth of gas. Imagine what they will do for thousands.....

Are you serious? :O
Once units are converted, In Spain we are paying around 4.16 euros per galon of standard performance gas, which equates to 4.95 USA dollars. High powered turbo engines use higher octane gasoline which is more expensive.

nutzo said:

Easily swappable batteries, just think of possibilities.

Once these are standardized and the batteries start to need replacement, they will become a huge target for thief.

Imagine waking up in the morning and finding someone stole $10,000 worth of batteries from your car last night.
When gas hit $4.50/gallon, people where drilling holes in gas tanks to steal $70 worth of gas. Imagine what they will do for thousands.....

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Civilians will need to register these dangerous devices.

CombatChrisNC said:

I don't know why more interest isn't in quick swapping of batteries. Like what you can do with propane tanks at stores. Tesla even ran a demo that it takes less time to swap a battery in their S with some automation than it does to fill up a sedan.

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Batteries are heavy, propane tanks not so much
Heavy batteries typically are really low in the car, which makes it more difficult to pull them out even if you could pull out smaller modules at a time
Yes Tesla did a neat demo, how that particular Tesla, now drive any other Tesla vehicle on it and see if it has that "one size fits all" ability.
And as much as I hate to say it, but I'm with Nutzo, the easier it is to remove the batteries the more ripe they are going to look to thieves.

I noticed that all this "new" technology was just about packaging. No improvement in energy density, recharge cycles, cold weather performance, etc. Don't get me wrong, the packaging improvements are nice, but hardly breakthrough type stuff.

nutzo said:

Easily swappable batteries, just think of possibilities.

Once these are standardized and the batteries start to need replacement, they will become a huge target for thief.

Imagine waking up in the morning and finding someone stole $10,000 worth of batteries from your car last night.
When gas hit $4.50/gallon, people where drilling holes in gas tanks to steal $70 worth of gas. Imagine what they will do for thousands.....

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I've heard of whole cars being targeted for theft.
Imagine waking up in the morning and finding someone stole your $87,000 car last night.

Curious if their 21700 actually changed anything besides size. The Tesla/Panasonic 21700ish battery was supposed to offer an improvement on chemistry.

Spidey329 said:

Curious if their 21700 actually changed anything besides size. The Tesla/Panasonic 21700ish battery was supposed to offer an improvement on chemistry.

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It's not so much a chemistry change as a usable volume change. The thickness used by the cells can and coating layers takes about 2mm of the 18650 cells diameter. By increasing the diameter by 3 mm (or any other number you wish) you gain almost 40% greater volume. The balance is that you also don't want to make the cells so large as to not be usable in things like power tool pack and laptop batteries. The idea behind the 21700 is that it will render the 18560 obsolete and out of production.

CombatChrisNC said:

I don't know why more interest isn't in quick swapping of batteries.

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Ownership of the batteries becomes a issue with swapping and the batteries are one of the most expensive components on a electric car so its not a trivial issue to insure or ensure supply economically speaking either.

The batteries that Samsung are talking about here aren't really meant to be swapped on the fly like those Tesla battery packs you're showing there as far as I can tell. I think its more easy to swap or modify them from a production stand point instead for different models .

nutzo said:

Easily swappable batteries, just think of possibilities.

Once these are standardized and the batteries start to need replacement, they will become a huge target for thief.

Imagine waking up in the morning and finding someone stole $10,000 worth of batteries from your car last night.
When gas hit $4.50/gallon, people where drilling holes in gas tanks to steal $70 worth of gas. Imagine what they will do for thousands.....

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Thieves already do this with expensive car parts though so it wouldn't be anything new or unheard of.