CATL Shenxing Plus Technical Deep Dive // How it Fast Charges

Welcome back everyone, I'm Jordan Geisigee and this is The Limiting Factor. Earlier this year, CATL unveiled their Shenxing Plus battery, which they claimed can provide 620 miles of total range, add 370 miles of range in 10 minutes during charging, can fast charge at negative 20 Celsius and has a pack level energy density of 205Wh per kilogram. So today, we're going to take a closer look at the key specs and more importantly, decipher how CATL achieved those specs through technology improvements to the cathode, anode, electrolyte and separator. With that information in hand, we can get a better understanding of the potential drawbacks of Shenxing and whether other companies like Tesla could duplicate it. Let's get into it.

欢迎回来，大家好，我是Jordan Geisigee，这里是《The Limiting Factor》。今年早些时候，宁德时代发布了他们的神行Plus电池，据称可以提供总续航620英里的里程，在充电10分钟内增加370英里的续航，可以在零下20摄氏度快速充电，并且其电池组的能量密度为每公斤205瓦时。今天，我们将仔细研究这些关键参数，更重要的是，解读宁德时代是如何通过改进正极、负极、电解质和隔膜技术来实现这些参数的。有了这些信息，我们可以更好地了解神行电池的潜在缺点，以及像特斯拉这样的其他公司是否可以复制这种技术。让我们开始吧。

Before we begin, a special thanks to my Patreon supporters, YouTube members and Twitter subscribers, as well as RebellionAir.com. They specialize in helping investors manage concentrated positions. RebellionAir can help with covered calls, risk management and creating a money master plan from your financial first principles. First things first, let's look at the headline specs for CATL Shenxing. CATL states that the battery is capable of 1000 km of range, which is 620 miles. When converting from China's optimistic EV test cycle to the US EPA test cycle, that would be more like 740 km or 460 miles in ideal conditions. In real world conditions, it would mean more like 600 km or 375 miles of range. That's still excellent range, especially for an LFP battery pack, but it's worth pointing out for people who assume that CATL's range claims were real world figures. It's also worth noting that CATL didn't say what type of vehicle that range estimate was based on. That means we don't have a baseline for efficiency, which matters just as much as the battery technology when determining range. For example, if their efficiency assumptions were optimistic and based on a small sedan, then for most vehicles, the real world range estimate would drop even further.

在我们开始之前，特别感谢我的 Patreon 支持者、YouTube 会员和 Twitter 订阅者，以及 RebellionAir.com。他们专注于帮助投资者管理集中持股，并能提供有关备兑看涨期权、风险管理和制定财务原则基础上的理财计划等服务。首先，我们来看一下CATL（宁德时代）神行电池的主要规格。CATL 宣称这款电池可以支持 1000 公里的续航，即 620 英里。若将此转换为符合美国 EPA 测试标准的续航里程，大约是 740 公里或 460 英里，在理想条件下。在现实条件下，大约为 600 公里或 375 英里的续航。这仍然是相当优秀的续航表现，尤其对于磷酸铁锂电池组来说。然而，需要指出的是，有些人可能以为 CATL 所宣称的续航已经是现实场景下的数值。另外，CATL并未说明这些续航数据是基于何种车型测算的，这意味着我们没有能源效率的基准，而这在决定续航里程时与电池技术同样重要。例如，如果他们的效率假设较为乐观且基于小型轿车，那么对于大多数车型来说，现实条件下的续航估计可能会进一步降低。

That, in turn, could also have an impact on their charging claims. On that note, CATL claimed that Shenxing could add 600 km or 370 miles of range in 10 minutes. That's equivalent to about 445 km or 275 miles on an EPA test cycle and 360 km or 230 miles of range in real world conditions. If CATL's hypothetical vehicle was a small, efficient vehicle, we'd be looking at less than 230 miles for a large sedan, truck, or SUV. To be clear, I'm not trying to minimize what CATL's achieved with Shenxing. Based on what they've told us about it, I'm impressed and it's going to push the whole battery industry forward. However, it's important to strip away some of the marketing hype to get a more realistic view of how Shenxing will actually perform.

这也可能会影响他们的充电宣传。在这方面，宁德时代声称，神行可以在10分钟内增加600公里或370英里的续航里程。按照美国环保署的测试标准，大约相当于445公里或275英里，而在实际驾驶条件下，大约是360公里或230英里的续航。如果宁德时代的假设车辆是一辆小型高效车，对于大型轿车、卡车或SUV来说，续航里程可能不到230英里。 需要明确的是，我并不是想低估宁德时代在神行项目上的成就。根据他们告诉我们的情况，我对其印象深刻，它将推动整个电池行业向前发展。然而，有必要去掉一些营销炒作，以更切实际地了解神行的实际表现。

While we're on the topic of charging speed, it's important to note that in order to hit Shenxing's 4C charge rate, you'd also need a supercharger capable of supporting that 4C charge rate. A 4C charge rate means that the average EV battery, which has around 80 kWh of capacity, would require a charger that can supply 4X that in terms of kW of power. In this case, that would mean a 320 kW charger. Most Tesla chargers are only about 150 to 250 kW. Yes, there are chargers with higher outputs in the US and especially China, but the bulk of the supercharging infrastructure is still 250 kW or less. That means for the average vehicle, the fast charge technology in Shenxing is now far ahead of the actual infrastructure to charge those batteries. And it's going to be three or four more years before that equipment becomes common. Yes, at current underpowered superchargers, Shenxing batteries will likely still see faster charge rates because they'll be able to sustain peak charging for longer. And yes, smaller vehicles with battery packs below 60 kW hours will be able to take full advantage of the 4C charge rate thanks to their smaller packs. But vehicles with packs that are 80 kWh and above, like a vehicle with 1000km of advertised range, will, on most charging equipment, see charging speeds that are 30 to 50% slower than what CATL is touting for Shenxing.

在谈到充电速度时，需要注意的是，要达到Shenxing的4C充电速率，还需要配备能够支持这种4C充电速率的超级充电器。4C充电速率意味着，平均电动车电池容量为80千瓦时(kWh)，那就需要一个功率为其4倍的充电器。在这种情况下，就是需要一个320千瓦(kW)的充电器。而大多数特斯拉的充电器功率只有150到250千瓦。是的，美国特别是中国有输出更高的充电器，但大多数超级充电基础设施依然为250千瓦或更低。这意味着，对于普通车辆而言，Shenxing的快速充电技术目前远超现有的充电基础设施。要让这些设备普遍起来，还需要三到四年的时间。是的，在目前功率不足的超级充电器上，Shenxing电池可能仍能获得较快的充电速度，因为它们能够在较长时间内保持峰值充电。还有，电池容量低于60千瓦时的小型车辆，由于电池包较小，可以充分利用4C充电速率。但像那些拥有1000公里宣传续航的车辆，其电池容量为80千瓦时及以上，在大多数充电设备上，充电速度将比CATL为Shenxing宣传的慢30%到50%。

The next headline spec was that CATL Shenxing is fast charge capable at negative 20 Celsius. By fast charge capable, they mean it'll be able to accept 50% of the maximum charge rate at those temperatures. That means with the average 80kWh battery pack at negative 20 Celsius, Shenxing can maintain 160kW charge rate with no preheating. However, most vehicles preheat at home or on their way to the supercharger and are able to maintain fast charge rates in low temperatures. With that said, better low temperature performance will be very useful for daily driving in colder climates like Canada. So like with the regular fast charging, cold weather fast charging is useful, but it'll apply in a minority of use cases.

下一个头条规格是，宁德时代的Shenxing电池在零下20摄氏度时也能快速充电。快速充电意味着在这个温度下，它能够接受最大充电速率的50%。也就是说，平均容量为80kWh的电池组在零下20摄氏度时，Shenxing可以保持160kW的充电速度，而无需预热。然而，大多数车辆在家中或前往超级充电站的途中会进行预热，从而能够在低温下维持快速充电。尽管如此，较好的低温性能对于在加拿大等寒冷气候下的日常驾驶将非常有用。所以，就像常规的快速充电一样，冷天气下的快速充电很有用，但只有在少数情况下会用到。

Lastly, CATL claimed that Shenxing will reach an energy density of 205Wh per kilogram at the pack level. My gut reaction to that is 205Wh per kilogram is aspirational. The real world energy density of battery packs from Chinese manufacturers can often come in significantly below what was in the promotional material. But if they can get anywhere around 180Wh per kilogram or above for an LFP battery pack, I'd be impressed. That's because 180Wh per kilogram at the pack level would match the performance of some of the best high nickel battery packs on the market, which can easily cost 20% more than an LFP battery pack.

最后，宁德时代声称其神行电池的系统级能量密度将达到每公斤205瓦时。我的直觉反应是，这个数字可能有些理想化。中国制造商的电池包在实际应用中的能量密度往往显著低于宣传材料中的数据。但如果他们的磷酸铁锂电池包能达到或超过每公斤180瓦时，我会感到印象深刻。因为在系统级能量密度方面，180瓦时每公斤的表现已经可以媲美市场上一些最好的高镍电池包，而这些高镍电池包的成本往往要比磷酸铁锂电池包高出20%。

With the headline specs out of the way, let's take a look at the technologies that make Shenxing work. I'm mostly going to be focused on fast charge because that's the key feature that was advertised by CATL and that people seem to be most excited about. Starting with the cathode, CATL claims that, quote, Shenxing leverages a super-electronic network cathode technology and fully nanocrystallized LFP cathode material to create a super-electronic network, which facilitates the extraction of lithium ions and the rapid response to charge signals, end quote. That's a lot of techno-babble. Let's decipher it.

在讨论完主要规格之后，让我们来看一下使神行电池运行的技术。我将主要关注快速充电，因为这是宁德时代（CATL）宣传的关键特性，也是大家最为期待的地方。首先来看正极，据宁德时代宣称，神行采用了一种超级电子网络正极技术，并使用全纳米晶化的磷酸铁锂（LFP）正极材料，创造了一个超级电子网络，这有助于锂离子的提取并快速响应充电信号。这听起来有些技术术语。让我们来解读一下。

Every battery cathode contains carbon-black powder, which helps improve the conductivity of the cathode. However, many manufacturers are moving to multi or single walled carbon nanotubes because they offer better electronic conductivity. My guess is that's part of what CATL is referring to when they say a super-electronic cathode network. Carbon nanotubes should allow for slightly lower resistance at the cell level at much lower concentrations in the cathode. That, in turn, should mean slightly less heat generation during charge and discharge, and maybe one or two percent more energy density thanks to a higher ratio of active-to-inactive material in the cathode.

每个电池的正极都含有碳黑粉，这有助于提高正极的导电性。然而，许多制造商正在转向使用多壁或单壁碳纳米管，因为它们能提供更好的电子导电性。我猜这就是宁德时代(CATL)所称的超级电子正极网络的一部分。碳纳米管在正极中的浓度更低，但能降低一点电池的电阻。这意味着在充电和放电过程中产生的热量可能会少一些，而且由于正极中活性材料与非活性材料的比例更高，能量密度或许会提高一到两个百分点。

With regards to CATL's comment about fully crystallized LFP cathode material, as far as I can tell, it's not anything new. All cathode material is fully crystallized, and LFP cathode particles can be produced at sizes anywhere from the hundreds of nanometers range to the low micron range. Lastly, I'm not sure why CATL even brought up the cathode as a factor in charging speed. That's because the limiting factor for charging speed is the rate that lithium ions can travel to the anode and enter the thin sheets that make up the graphite in the anode. That means to increase the charge rate of a battery cell, the best way to do it is to increase the speed limit between the cathode and anode, so to speak, and to allow more lithium ions to enter the anode more quickly.

关于宁德时代提到的完全结晶的LFP正极材料，从我所了解的情况来看，这并不是什么新鲜事。所有正极材料都是完全结晶的，而LFP正极颗粒可以在几百纳米到低微米的范围内生产。最后，我不太明白宁德时代为什么会把正极当作充电速度的一个因素。因为限制充电速度的因素是锂离子移动到负极并进入负极石墨薄片的速度。因此，要提高电池的充电速度，最佳的方法是提升所谓的“正负极之间的速度限制”，让更多的锂离子能够更快地进入负极。

That's because the anode is like a parking lot for lithium ions, and traffic jams can occur when too many ions try to enter the anode at once. With that in mind, first, how did CATL reduce the molecular traffic jams at the anode? According to their press release, quote, CATL's latest second generation fast ion ring technology is used to modify the properties of the graphite surface, which increases intercalation channels and shortens the intercalation distance for lithium ions, creating an expressway for current conduction. Furthermore, a multi gradient layered electrode design has been developed to strike a perfect balance between fast charging and long range. And quote, to simplify that paragraph, CATL is promoting two separate innovations at the anode, the fast ion ring and the gradient electrode. The fast ion ring was the biggest mystery to me, because there's so many options in the literature to improve the charge rate of graphite in lithium ion batteries.

这段话翻译成中文是： “这是因为阳极就像锂离子的停车场，当太多锂离子同时试图进入阳极时，会发生交通堵塞。考虑到这一点，首先，宁德时代（CATL）是如何减少阳极处锂离子的‘分子交通堵塞’呢？根据他们的新闻稿，宁德时代的最新第二代快离子环技术被用于修改石墨表面的性质，这增加了嵌入通道并缩短了锂离子的嵌入距离，为电流传导创造了一条高速通道。此外，他们开发了一种多梯度分层电极设计，以完美平衡快速充电和长续航。简化来说，宁德时代在阳极推广了两项创新：快离子环和梯度电极。对我来说，快离子环是最大的谜团，因为在文献中有很多方法可以提高锂离子电池中石墨的充电速度。”

However, when CATL said fast ion ring, it made me think of this paper from 2019 by Zhang et al, titled nitrogen doped multi-channel graphite for high rate and high capacity lithium-ion battery. That paper caught my attention a few years ago, because it seemed like a simple and low-cost way to increase charge rate. It involved just two production steps. First, the graphite was stirred in an alkaline potassium hydroxide solution at low heat, then dried that etched the graphite or created grooves in it, which created greater surface area for lithium ions to enter and exit the graphite more quickly.

然而，当宁德时代提到快速离子环时，我想到了2019年由Zhang等人发表的一篇论文，题目是《氮掺杂多通道石墨用于高倍率和高容量锂离子电池》。这篇论文几年前引起了我的注意，因为它似乎提供了一种简单且低成本的方法来提高充电速率。其过程仅涉及两个生产步骤。首先，将石墨在低温下搅拌在碱性氢氧化钾溶液中，然后干燥，这样可以蚀刻石墨或在其中形成凹槽，从而增加表面积，使锂离子能够更快地进出石墨。

However, greater surface area also means the graphite has greater exposure to react with the electrolyte, which reduces the capacity of the battery cell. The solution to that was doping the particle with nitrogen, which was done by exposing the graphite to ammonia gas at high temperatures. The nitrogen doping blocks the lithium and the electrolyte from reacting with the surface of the graphite, but it also makes the surface of the graphite more electronegative, which allows the electro positive lithium ions to enter the graphite more easily.

不过，较大的表面积也意味着石墨有更多机会与电解液发生反应，从而降低电池单元的容量。为了解决这个问题，我们在石墨颗粒中掺入了氮元素，这一过程是通过在高温下让石墨接触氨气来实现的。氮掺杂能够阻止锂和电解液与石墨表面反应，但同时也让石墨表面带有更多负电性，使得带正电的锂离子更容易进入石墨。

In my view, the fast ion ring could be referring to the etching that encircles each graphite particle or to the nitrogen doping, which occurs at the edges of the molecular rings that make up the graphite. Either way, the paper uses language that's similar to the language that CATL used. It stated, quote, a multi-channel structure was proposed as a way to increase the number of lithium ion intercalation sites and reduce the lithium ion diffusion distance, end quote.

在我看来，“快离子环”可能指的是环绕每个石墨颗粒的蚀刻，或者指的是在组成石墨的分子环边缘发生的氮掺杂。无论哪种情况，这篇论文使用的语言与宁德时代（CATL）使用的语言相似。论文中提到，“提出了一种多通道结构，以增加锂离子插入位点数量并减少锂离子扩散距离。”

Compare that to CATL's wording, which said, quote, fast ion ring technology increases intercalation channels and shortens the intercalation distance, end quote. That is, CATL's press release appears to paraphrase what the research paper says, and some of the words used are identical. So, it's likely that the technology that they're using is the same or similar. The second innovation CATL mentioned at the anode was the multi-gradient layered electrode. A multi-gradient electrode is straightforward. Generally, there are two options when designing the anode of a lithium-ion battery.

与CATL的表述相比，它提到“快速离子环技术增加了嵌入通道并缩短了嵌入距离。” 换句话说，CATL的新闻稿似乎是在转述研究论文的内容，而且使用了一些相同的词语。因此，可以推测他们使用的技术是相同或相似的。CATL提到的第二项创新是在阳极使用了多梯度分层电极。多梯度电极的概念相对简单。一般来说，在设计锂离子电池的阳极时有两种选择。

First, it can be designed for power, which helps improve the charge rate. That involves designing the anode so that lithium ions can flow more easily, which can be done by making the cathode particle smaller or increasing the porosity of the cathode. However, that results in lower energy density because there's less volume devoted to storing lithium ions. Second, the anode can be designed for energy, where the battery can provide more miles of range through reduced weight and volume. That involves designing the anode so that there's less inert material and more energy storing material, which can be done by making the cathode particles larger or decreasing the porosity of the cathode.

首先，可以将电池设计为注重功率，从而提高充电速率。这需要通过设计阳极使锂离子更容易流动实现，这可以通过减小阴极颗粒尺寸或增加阴极的孔隙率来实现。然而，这会导致较低的能量密度，因为用于存储锂离子的体积减少了。其次，也可以将阳极设计为注重能量，从而减少重量和体积使电池具有更长的续航里程。这需要通过减少惰性材料并增加储能材料来设计阳极，这可以通过增大阴极颗粒尺寸或减少阴极的孔隙率来实现。

However, that results in slower charging because there's less space for the lithium ions to flow freely and less surface area that they can use to enter the anode particles. As shown in this slide from N-Power, with a multi-gradient layered cathode, a highly porous upper layer allows lithium ions to flow freely for high power, and a particle-dense lower layer allows for greater energy storage. For a given battery design, that should allow for a battery cell with greater power or fast charge capability and little or no negative impact on energy density.

然而，这导致充电速度变慢，因为锂离子流动的空间减少，并且可供它们进入阳极颗粒的表面积也减少。如N-Power的这一张幻灯片所示，使用多梯度分层阴极设计，高度多孔的上层可以让锂离子自由流动，实现高功率，而颗粒密集的下层可以储存更多能量。对于特定的电池设计，这意味着可以制造具有更大功率或快速充电能力的电池单元，并对能量密度几乎没有或没有负面影响。

Next, let's look at how CATL increased the speed limit between the cathode and anode to increase charge rate. They state, quote, CATL has developed a brand new superconducting electrolyte formula, which effectively reduces the viscosity of the electrolyte, resulting in improved conductivity. In addition, CATL has improved the ultra-thin SEI film to reduce resistance of lithium-ion movement, end quote. First, SEI stands for solid electrolyte interface, which is a protective layer that forms on the anode the first time that a battery is charged that extends cycle life. A thinner SEI film should mean that the lithium ions can enter and exit the anode more easily.

接下来，让我们看看宁德时代如何通过提高正极和负极之间的速度限制来加快充电速度。他们表示，宁德时代开发了一种全新的超导电解质配方，有效降低了电解质的粘度，从而提高了导电性。此外，宁德时代改进了超薄的SEI膜，以减少锂离子运动的阻力。这里的SEI是固态电解质界面的缩写，是在电池第一次充电时形成于负极上的保护层，能够延长电池的循环寿命。更薄的SEI膜意味着锂离子可以更容易地进出负极。

I'm not sure how CATL made the SEI thinner, but they most likely achieve that by tweaking the mixture of chemicals that make up the electrolyte solution. More on that in a moment. Either way, my guess is that the thin SEI is a minor contributor to Shenxing's charge speed. With regards to CATL's comment about viscosity, it refers to how easily a liquid flows. Higher viscosity means the liquid flows more slowly, and lower viscosity means it flows more quickly. So a lower viscosity, or more flowable electrolyte, increases the speed limit for the lithium ions as they travel from the cathode to the anode. How did CATL achieve that? Let's look at the chemicals that make up a typical electrolyte solution.

我不太确定宁德时代（CATL）是如何让SEI层变得更薄的，但他们很可能是通过调整电解液成分来实现的。稍后会详细说明。不管怎样，我猜薄SEI层对"神行"电池的充电速度贡献较小。关于宁德时代提到的粘度，这指的是液体流动的难易程度。较高的粘度意味着液体流动得更慢，而较低的粘度则意味着流动更快。因此，更低的粘度或者更加易流动的电解液，可以提高锂离子从正极移动到负极的速度。那么，宁德时代是如何做到这一点的呢？让我们来看看构成典型电解液的化学成分。

The first is a solvent, such as ethylene carbonate. The second is a salt of lithium, like lithium hexafluorophosphate. The third is additive, such as vinylene carbonate. The reason why this mixture is used for the electrolyte is for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons is that it results in battery cells with long cycle life. However, one of the drawbacks is that the carbonate-based solvents are relatively viscous, which results in slower ionic movement and therefore a slower charge rate.

首先是一种溶剂，比如碳酸乙烯酯。其次是一种锂盐，比如六氟磷酸锂。第三是添加剂，如碳酸乙烯酯。这种混合物被用作电解液的原因有很多，其中一个主要原因是它可以使电池具备持久的循环寿命。然而，其中一个缺点是碳酸酯类溶剂的粘度较高，这会导致离子移动速度较慢，因此充电速度也较慢。

One of the best ways to reduce the viscosity of the electrolyte and increase the charging speed is to swap the carbonate-based solvent for an ester-based solvent. Engineers from Tesla have said that by switching to an ester-based solvent, charging speed can be increased by 40%, but Tesla doesn't use those esters because they can negatively impact cycle life. So how did CATL get around the cycle life issue? Tesla's research partner, Jeff Don, has done a lot of research on esters, and he suggested a couple of ways to improve their cycle life. The first is to use an electrolyte that contains both carbonate and ester-based solvents, which is called the co-solveant method.

减少电解液粘度和提高充电速度的最佳方法之一是将碳酸盐基溶剂换成酯基溶剂。特斯拉的工程师表示，通过改用酯基溶剂，充电速度可以提高40%。但特斯拉没有使用这些酯，因为它们可能会对电池的循环寿命产生负面影响。那么宁德时代(CATL)是如何解决循环寿命问题的呢？特斯拉的研究伙伴杰夫·唐（Jeff Don）对酯进行了大量研究，并提出了一些改善循环寿命的方法。首先，他建议使用含有碳酸盐和酯基溶剂的电解液，这种方法被称为共溶剂方法。

At an ester concentration of up to 20%, that results in faster charge rates without any apparent negative impacts to battery cycle life. The second option is to use a pure ester solvent, but to increase the additive concentration. Jeff's team suggests that an electrolyte using 5% additives mostly solves the cycle life issues. For reference, my understanding is that a typical additive loading is more like 1 to 2%. The additives are usually kept to a minimum because they can be expensive.

在酯类浓度高达20%的情况下，可以实现更快的充电速度，而且对电池的循环寿命没有明显的负面影响。第二种选择是使用纯酯溶剂，但增加添加剂的浓度。Jeff的团队建议，使用5%添加剂的电解质大部分可以解决循环寿命的问题。根据我的理解，通常的添加剂用量大约是1%到2%。添加剂通常保持在最低水平，因为它们可能较昂贵。

What all this means is that there are solutions available to mitigate the cycle life issues inherent with low viscosity solvents like esters. I don't see a TL used one of the exact formulas in the research papers I've just shown here, but they likely used a similar approach and borrowed from them. Before we move on, just to reinforce the point, I'd caution that there's a chance that Shen Xing could have a lower cycle life than a typical LFP battery cell. Notably, any discussion of cycle life was absent from the press release on Shen Xing.

这段话的意思是，目前有解决方案可以缓解像酯类这样的低粘度溶剂固有的循环寿命问题。虽然我没有看到TL使用我刚才展示的研究论文中的确切配方，但他们可能采用了类似的方法并从中借鉴。在我们继续之前，我想再次强调一点：Shen Xing电池的循环寿命可能比普通的LFP电池更短。值得注意的是，有关Shen Xing电池循环寿命的讨论在新闻稿中没有被提及。

Lastly, CATL's press release highlighted improvements to the separator. They stated, quote, in terms of separator, CATL lowered the transmission resistance of lithium ions with high porosity and shortened average transmission distance, end quote. And they also said, quote, the upgraded electrolyte and the separator with a highly safe coating are used to provide a dual protection of the Shen Xing battery end quote. To understand what CATL is saying here, let's take a look at what a separator is and its purpose. The cathode and anode of a lithium ion battery cell are long thin strips that are wound up into what's called a jelly roll.

最后，宁德时代的新闻稿强调了隔膜的改进，他们表示“在隔膜方面，宁德时代通过提高孔隙率降低了锂离子的传输阻力，并缩短了平均传输距离。”他们还提到“使用升级后的电解液和带有高安全性涂层的隔膜，为Shen Xing电池提供双重保护。”要理解宁德时代所说的这些内容，我们首先需要了解隔膜是什么以及它的作用。锂离子电池单元的正极和负极是长而薄的条状物卷成所谓的“果冻卷”形状。

The separator keeps the cathode and anode layers from touching and shorting out the battery cell, which means it needs to be made of an electrically insulative material such as plastic. A short can occur from external forces such as punctures or from internal forces like dendrites. Dendrites occur when lithium hasn't absorbed into the cathode or anode quickly enough and builds up on the electrodes. If the dendrites get tall enough, they can form a bridge between the cathode and anode, shorting it out. When that happens, energy flows across the bridge, releases heat and melts the separator.

分隔层用于防止正极和负极接触并导致电池短路，这意味着它需要由塑料等电绝缘材料制成。短路可能因为外部力量如刺破，或内部因素如枝晶而发生。枝晶是在锂没有快速吸收到正极或负极时，积累在电极上的结构。如果枝晶长得足够高，它们可能在正极和负极之间形成桥梁，导致短路。当这种情况发生时，能量会通过桥梁流动，产生热量并导致分隔层融化。

That causes the separator to contract and more of the cathode and anode touch, which releases more heat and eventually the entire battery cell goes into thermal runaway. Interestingly, the fact that the separator is meant to be an electrical insulator is complicated by the fact that it needs to be as thin and porous as possible. It needs to be thin so that it takes up less weight and reduces the distance lithium ions need to travel between the electrodes.

这会导致隔膜收缩，使更多的正极和负极接触，从而释放更多的热量，最终导致整个电池单元进入热失控。有意思的是，尽管隔膜本来是用作电气绝缘体，但为了性能需求，它需要尽可能地薄且多孔。隔膜需要很薄，这样可以减轻电池的重量，并缩短锂离子在电极之间穿梭的距离。

And it needs to be porous so that it doesn't restrict the flow of lithium ions and allows them to take the most direct route between the electrodes. So what's the engineering solution to the fact that the separator needs to be tough, thin, porous and electrically insulative? As usual, there are several potential solutions. But in my view, the most likely solution for CATL is to use a separator coated with ceramic material, which could include materials such as alumina or bamite. That ceramic coating would dramatically improve not just the mechanical stability, but also the thermal stability of the separator.

为了更好地让锂离子自由通过，我们需要一个多孔的隔膜，这样可以避免限制锂离子的流动，使它们沿着电极之间的最直接路径移动。那么，工程上如何解决这个问题，使隔膜既坚韧、又薄、多孔且绝缘呢？通常，解决方案有多种选择。但在我看来，宁德时代（CATL）最可能的方案是使用涂有陶瓷材料的隔膜，可能包括材料如氧化铝或堇青石。这种陶瓷涂层不仅能够极大地提升隔膜的机械稳定性，还能改善其热稳定性。

That in turn would improve safety by keeping the separator from shrinking and contributing to thermal runaway, which would also allow the separator to be made thinner. A thinner separator would reduce the distance and therefore the ionic resistance between the cathode and anode, which could reduce heat generation and may improve the charge rate of the battery. It might also improve the energy density of the battery cell by trimming out an active material.

这反过来可以提高安全性，通过防止隔膜收缩并导致热失控，这也使得隔膜可以做得更薄。较薄的隔膜能够减少阴极和阳极之间的距离，从而降低离子阻力，这可能减少热量产生并提高电池的充电速率。此外，这还可能通过减少一种活性材料来提高电池单元的能量密度。

Now that we've looked at the technology that's likely behind the excellent charging performance of Shenxing, the question is, what are the drawbacks? Each of the technologies we discussed today has the potential to add cost to the battery cell. Many of those technologies will come down in cost, but for some of them, the extra cost may be embedded because they involve taking a standard battery material and upgrading it with extra processing steps that involve time, machinery, and money. With that said, none of the technologies that I expect CATL to use for Shenxing would dramatically increase its price over a standard LFP battery cell. That's because all the technologies are relatively simple, use low-cost materials, or are used in tiny amounts as a proportion of the total battery weight. That is, at scale, the cost premium would be relatively small, but the benefit would be large. That could tempt even typically penny-pinching auto manufacturers like Tesla to use Shenxing batteries or something similar.

现在我们已经了解了可能是神行充电性能出色背后的技术，接下来的问题是，它有哪些缺点？我们今天讨论的每一项技术都有可能增加电池单元的成本。虽然许多技术的成本会下降，但对于一些技术来说，额外的成本可能是无法避免的，因为它们需要将标准电池材料经过额外的处理步骤，这些步骤需要时间、设备和资金。不过，我预计宁德时代为神行电池使用的技术，不会使其价格比普通的磷酸铁锂电池单元高出太多。因为这些技术相对简单，使用低成本材料，或者只占电池总重量的一小部分。因此，在大规模生产时，成本增幅相对较小，但收益却很大。这可能会吸引即使是通常精打细算的汽车制造商，比如特斯拉，使用神行电池或类似产品。

But as I said earlier, there could also be a cycle life drawback for Shenxing if they haven't completely solved the cycle life challenges of an ester-based electrolyte. On the other hand, the cycle life would still be in the ballpark of a typical LFP battery cell. That means Shenxing would still have higher cycle life than a typical nickel-based battery cell, while likely having a cost closer to that of an LFP battery cell. The last question to address is whether Tesla could use some of the same technologies that are used in Shenxing for the 4680 battery cell to achieve faster charge rates. In short, yes, they could. That's because all the technologies used in Shenxing appear to be widely known by researchers like Tesla's partner Jeff Don, and in the industry where they're already in production. What was surprising about Shenxing, and made it seem like a breakthrough, was that CATL combined so many new technologies into one new product rather than over several generations.

如我之前所说，如果他们没有完全解决酯基电解液的循环寿命问题，Shenxing电池可能会在这方面有劣势。不过，它的循环寿命仍然与典型的磷酸铁锂（LFP）电池相近。这意味着，Shenxing电池的循环寿命依然比典型的镍基电池要长，而成本可能更接近LFP电池。最后一个需要探讨的问题是，特斯拉能否在其4680电池中使用一些Shenxing所用的技术来实现更快的充电速度。简而言之，是有可能的。因为Shenxing使用的所有技术在业内都是众所周知的，像特斯拉的合作伙伴Jeff Don这样的研究人员都了解这些技术，而且这些技术已经在生产应用中。令人吃惊的是，Shenxing显得像一个突破，是因为宁德时代（CATL）将如此多的新技术合并到一个新产品中，而不是分几个代际逐步引入。

And in my view, beyond the surprise factor, what's significant about CATL's Shenxing announcement is that CATL has taken it upon themselves to invest in these fast-charge technologies, likely through suppliers, to increase scale, drive down cost, and push the entire market forward. This is much the same way that Tesla took a risk on gigacasting, their 48-fold architecture, and dry-coated electrodes to push vehicle and battery manufacturing forward. And just like other companies have been, and will continue to benefit from Tesla's trailblazing, Tesla will benefit from CATL's trailblazing. So when will we see Tesla start making fast-charging 4680s? It's hard to say because that's more of a product decision.

在我看来，除了令人惊讶的因素之外，宁德时代（CATL）的"神行"发布更重要的是，宁德时代主动投资于这些快速充电技术，可能通过供应商进行，以扩大规模、降低成本并推动整个市场的发展。这与特斯拉在车辆和电池制造方面的大胆尝试类似，例如采用大型压铸工艺、48倍体架构以及干涂电极等创新。同样地，就像其他公司已经从特斯拉的探索中受益且将继续受益一样，特斯拉也会从宁德时代的创新中获益。那么，我们什么时候能看到特斯拉开始制造快速充电的4680电池呢？这很难说，因为这更多是一个产品决策问题。

That's because each of the technologies in Shenxing have potential trade-offs for cycle life and cost. And because Tesla may wait until there are more DC fast chargers that can actually support 4C or greater charge rates for the average vehicle. In summary, the CATL's Shenxing battery has impressive specs. Although the real-world range will be more subdued than they claimed, and the 205Wh per kilogram is likely overblown, Shenxing will likely be cheaper than the high nickel battery packs that they'll be competing with. There will be a price premium for Shenxing over regular LFP, but exactly how much that premium will be is difficult to say. If I find clues about the cost premium, I'll let you know. Either way, Shenxing gives us a glimpse of how fast all EVs will charge in the coming years. That's because, as I showed, Shenxing is actually a collection of technologies that have been in various stages of development for years, and I expect they'll all be available off the shelf and at low cost in the next few years.

这主要是因为神行电池中的每项技术在循环寿命和成本方面都有可能存在一些权衡。同时，特斯拉可能会等到有更多的直流快速充电桩能够支持4C或更高充电速度后，再进行使用。总的来说，宁德时代的神行电池规格很出色。尽管实际使用时的续航距离可能低于宣传的，而且205瓦时每公斤的指标可能被夸大，但神行电池可能比它们的竞争对手高镍电池组便宜。与普通的磷酸铁锂电池相比，神行电池会有一定的价格溢价，但具体溢价多少还不确定。如果我找到了有关成本溢价的线索，会告知你。不管怎样，神行电池让我们看到了未来几年电动汽车充电速度的提升。这是因为，正如我所展示的，神行电池其实是多项已经在不同发展阶段的技术集合，我预计在未来几年内，这些技术都会以低成本供应。

On that note, any of the technologies used in Shenxing can be implemented as standalone improvements. Due to that, I wouldn't be surprised if specific customers and cell manufacturers pick and choose to use those technologies allocard to suit their needs. It all comes down to the trade-off decisions each manufacturer makes between cycle life, cost, and charge rate. My expectation is that, as usual, customers in China will be the first to adopt Shenxing, and then, over time, as the charging network matures, companies like Tesla will gradually follow suit. If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting the channel by using the links in the description. Also, consider following me on X. I often use X as a testbed for sharing ideas, and X subscribers like my Patreon supporters generally get access to my videos a week early. On that note, a special thanks to my YouTube members, X subscribers, and all the other patrons listed in the credits. I appreciate all of your support, and thanks for tuning in.

在这个方面，神行使用的任何技术都可以作为独立的改进来实施。由于这个原因，我不会惊讶于某些客户和电池制造商选择使用这些技术中的某些部分来满足他们的需求。最终，决定取决于每个制造商在循环寿命、成本和充电速度之间的权衡。我预计，一如既往，中国的客户将是首批采用神行的，然后，随着充电网络的逐渐完善，像特斯拉这样的公司也将逐渐跟进。如果你喜欢这个视频，请通过描述中的链接支持我们的频道。此外，考虑在X上关注我。我经常使用X作为分享想法的试验平台，而X的订阅者跟我的Patreon支持者一样，通常可以提前一周看到我的视频。特别感谢我的YouTube会员、X订阅者和字幕中列出的所有其他赞助者。我非常感谢你们的支持，谢谢收看。