New lithium metal battery doubles energy capacity! Has China beaten us to it again?

Using lithium metal to replace graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries is a goal that battery chemists all over the world have been chasing for well over a decade. Theoretically lithium metal can store TEN TIMES as much energy as graphite. The trouble is, what makes lithium so good as an energy carrier - its highly reactive properties - also makes it very difficult to manage inside a cell. But now, the mighty CATL and a Technology University in China have both come forward with solutions to the conundrum.

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Reference Links:

Tianjin Resarch Paper
Huang, H., Hu, Y., Hou, Y. et al. Delocalized electrolyte design enables 600 Wh kg−1 lithium metal pouch cells. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09382-4

CATL Research Paper
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01935-y

CATL Press Release
https://www.catl.com/en/news/6456.html

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