The penetration of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) type-811 batteries into the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) industry will be quite limited in 2019, market participants have told Fastmarkets.
Cost and safety are the two major hurdles facing the use of NCM811 batteries, which include nickel, cobalt and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1. This is despite the application of China's 2018 EV subsidy policy, which raised the usability threshold at which EVs would receive subsidies by requiring a longer driving range and a higher energy density, and in turn encouraged the adoption of nickel-rich batteries for EV applications in the country."I don't think any EV producers are ready to start using NCM811 batteries in their cars," a battery materials producer said."We have seen NCM811 battery used in consumer electronic products. However, not a single pack of NCM811 batteries has been applied to EVs yet," a second battery materials producer said.Battery types which use less nickel, such as NCM523 (nickel:cobalt:manganese in a ratio of 5:2:3) and NCM622 (nickel:cobalt:manganese in a ratio of 6:2:2) are likely to prevail in the...