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A new chapter begins for EV batteries with the expiry of key LFP patents

https://www.shoosmiths.com/insights/articles/a-new-chapter-begins-for-ev-batteries-with-the-expiry-of-key-lfp-patents
48•toomuchtodo•4h ago

Comments

cyberax•2h ago
What? Patents have been a non-issue for LFP batteries, and the original LFP patents are almost useless today. All the new advances that made LFPs competitive are still well-protected by patents, for at least another decade.
mitthrowaway2•2h ago
What makes you say they've been a non-issue?

As far as I'm aware they've been an issue (outside of China) for the last 20 years.

Tostino•1h ago
Sorry we handicapped ourselves and are now complaining about a competitor? Seems silly. The west made this tech unusable. I was building ebikes in 2006/7 and A123 was entirely unavailable unless you went and salvaged power tool packs.

They never became available at a competitive price, and then China bought the rights....

Now I can buy them in bulk as a consumer for 1/15th the price.

Our system is not meant for innovation by small players or consumers. We want tech easily locked away behind a contract.

cyberax•21m ago
The total lithium battery patent licensing market is estimated at less than 600 million USD a year. This is approximately nothing, given that the overall battery market is estimated at about $200B.

The pace of innovation is furious, and companies are treating patents more as a way to ensure MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) rather than as a tool to get income.

I think we'll start seeing the first large lawsuits once the losers start realizing that they lost the innovation race.

rule2025•2h ago
Lithium iron phosphate batteries are very practical. Chinese BYD has developed blade batteries using this type of battery and has become the global sales leader in new energy vehicles. However, this battery faces range limitations and the issue of how to improve charging speed. Solid-state batteries should be the next big thing, but mass production may not be feasible yet. At least, it might take 3 more years for commercialization, and that's still an optimistic prediction.
idiotsecant•52m ago
Solid state batteries and fusion power, always 3 years away.
seanmcdirmid•30m ago
It’s always 20 years away until it isn’t. Self driving cars are…I guess they are here already. AGI? Well, we have to move the goal post on that constantly.
s0rce•25m ago
Self driving cars have had many incremental improvements. I think fusion power is actually making progress, not clear about solid state batteries. Seems more companies closing than making solid progress.
stevage•8m ago
>Self driving cars are…I guess they are here already.

They may be where you are, but they aren't generally here.

dzhiurgis•49m ago
> Lithium iron phosphate batteries are very practical

Unless you want to charge in negative temperatures

> However, this battery faces range limitations

Yes they are less dense but plentiful for typical passenger car (and not so much for full sized trucks or even "mid-sized" US SUVs).

> the issue of how to improve charging speed

I think CATL demonstrated 1MW charging on these already. Definitely shipping 500kW charging (tho best measure is still average km/hr).

> Solid-state batteries should be the next big thing

Sodium will (great cold weather performance and even better charge rates), but it's less (vol) dense and prices won't reach LFPs for another 10-15 years (unless you believe hype, not actual analysts).

_aavaa_•22m ago
> Unless you want to charge in negative temperatures

Doesn’t the thermal management system of the battery packs handle this?

sokka_h2otribe•19m ago
If it's suitable for sedans it's actually more suitable for SUVs. SUVs require less power per cubic feet of space. So there is more space available for them, even if they take more energy overall
amluto•34m ago
> EU regulations requiring lithium-ion batteries to contain at least 6% recycled lithium by 2031, rising to 12% by 2036.

Seriously?

The EU should aim for massive growth in battery deployment in transportation and grid storage. If they hope for, say, 10x growth in deployed battery capacity within a time frame comparable to the lifespan of a battery, then even a 100% recycling rate would not produce enough lithium.

I suppose people could recycle batteries just to produce new batteries and acquire recycling credits, but this is absurd.

ehnto•21m ago
It will probably amount to recycling credit schemes I am sure. But that would definitely boost lithium recycling efforts.

From memory over 1million disposable vapes are thrown away each day, from 500 of the bigger cell vapes a Youtuber was able build a home battery to power his house. I don't think 100% recycled makes sense but there sure is a lot of lithium getting thrown into the bin. Incentives to recapture that are good.

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A new chapter begins for EV batteries with the expiry of key LFP patents

https://www.shoosmiths.com/insights/articles/a-new-chapter-begins-for-ev-batteries-with-the-expir...
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