Cell manufacturer Godi India announces new technology to improve EV range

Silicon-based cells can store nearly ten times energy, give an electric vehicle greater range

Godi India, the first company to get quality certification to sell lithium-ion cells made with home-grown technology, said it has manufactured lithium-ion cells based on silicon anode technology.

By using silicon in anode an electric vehicle can achieve a greater range, up to 15-20 per cent compared to graphite, on a single charge. The 5.2 Ah (Ampere hours) 21700 cylindrical lithium-ion cells with an energy density of 275 Wh/kg (watt-hour per kilogram) are India’s first, said the company.

The cells use silicon, one of the most abundant elements on Earth. “We are delighted to announce the manufacturing of 5.2 Ah lithium-ion cells at our Hyderabad facility. With the boom in the EV sector...the need for high energy cells have become very essential. We have already delivered 5.0Ah cells to top six OEMs in India and plan to deliver 5.2Ah cells in the near future. We believe that these high energy density cells developed with in-house technology will be an important landmark for ‘Made in India’ for the domestic and international market,” said Mahesh Godi, founder and chief executive officer of Godi India.

Godi India planned for a 100 MWh pilot production facility for 5.0-5.2Ah cells followed by a GWh plant to cater to the requirements of the highly demanding electric two wheeler’s needs, which is more than 50GWh by 2030 exclusive for electric two wheelers battery segment.

With a lithium-ion cell market estimated to be worth $5 billion for electric two wheelers by 2030, silicon is the future of energy storage. Silicon-based cells can store nearly ten times the energy when compared to the traditional graphite anode. However, it comes with close to 400 per cent of volume expansion during its charge and discharge process making it difficult to stabilize.

Godi India said it has developed an eco-friendly water-based electrode manufacturing process to stabilise the silicon, which has been successfully utilized in the manufacturing of the 5.2 Ah lithium-ion cells.