BASF and Porsche partner to develop high-performing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles

BASF has been selected by Cellforce Group (CFG), a joint venture between Porsche and Customcells, as the exclusive cell development partner for its next generation lithium-ion battery.

As part of the collaboration, BASF will provide high-energy HEDTM NCM cathode active materials to contribute to high-performance battery cells for fast charging and high energy density. Cellforce Group, based in Tübingen, Germany, will produce the high-performing battery. Its battery production plant is expected to start operations in 2024 with an initial capacity of at least 100 MWh per year, powering 1,000 motorsport and high-performance vehicles.

As a leading global supplier of high-performance cathode materials with a strong research and development network, BASF is very well positioned to work with partners to contribute to a circular economy. With its production facilities for precursors for cathode materials in Harjavalta, Finland, and for cathode materials in Schwarzheide, Brandenburg, BASF will be able to offer battery materials with an especially positive sustainability performance starting from 2022. At the core of this is responsible and reliable procurement of raw materials. At the same time, BASF strives for a particularly low CO₂ footprint along the supply chain. The production waste from the future battery production plant of the Cellforce Group will be recycled in the BASF prototype plant for battery recycling in Schwarzheide, thus closing the cycle. Lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese are recycled in a hydrometallurgical process and reintroduced into the BASF cathode materials production process.

"Porsche is expecting to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions over the entire value chain and the life cycle of newly sold vehicles by 2030. A low CO₂ footprint, closed-loop recycling and sustainability are therefore increasingly in the foreground," says Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG. "The collaboration with BASF offered potential for a win-win situation for the participants. European sources for the materials nickel and cobalt, the associated security of supply and the short transport routes from Schwarzheide to Baden-Württemberg were all important arguments for the decision to work with BASF. The battery cells — especially the cathode materials — are the focus of considerations here. We are very pleased that, together with BASF, we are bringing environmentally friendly cell technology to series production.”

“With its in-depth expertise in cathode active materials, BASF supports us in a core area of cell development,” adds Markus Gräf, Managing Director of the Cellforce Group. “The cathode active materials show very high cycle stabilities right from the start and are particularly good at fast charging. These are exactly the properties that Cellforce was looking for. BASF is also very committed to adapting the cathode active materials to the requirements of next generation silicon anodes. And in the production area, too, we have worked out a concept together with BASF on how production waste generated in the various areas can be collected and returned to closed-loop recycling. This saves costs and conserves resources as well as the environment.”