Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery(LFP) VS Ternary Lithium Battery(NCM/NCA)

Lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) and ternary lithium battery (NCM/NCA) are the two mainstream lithium-ion battery types on the market. They are widely used in electric vehicles, energy storage, consumer electronics and other fields. Although they belong to the same lithium battery family, there are significant differences between the two in terms of chemical composition, performance, cost, safety and application scenarios. The following will comprehensively analyze and compare lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary lithium batteries from multiple perspectives to help better understand their respective advantages and disadvantages.

1. Battery composition and working principle

Ternary lithium battery (NCM/NCA)

The positive electrode material of ternary lithium battery is usually composed of nickel, cobalt and manganese (NCM) or nickel, cobalt and aluminum (NCA). Batteries with higher nickel content can provide higher energy density, which is also an important advantage of ternary lithium batteries. However, due to the chemical properties of nickel and cobalt, they have poor thermal stability and are prone to thermal runaway problems.

2. Energy density and endurance

LFP battery has a relatively low energy density, usually around 120-150 Wh/kg. This means that for batteries of the same volume or mass, LFP batteries have less energy storage. This lower energy density limits its use in some applications with high endurance requirements, such as long-distance electric vehicles.

Ternary lithium battery has a higher energy density, usually 200-250 Wh/kg, and even some high-nickel batteries can reach more than 300 Wh/kg. This enables ternary lithium batteries to provide longer range for electric vehicles, etc. Therefore, many high-end electric vehicle brands (such as Tesla) usually choose ternary lithium batteries as their main batteries.

3. Safety

LFP battery has good thermal stability and is not prone to thermal runaway in high temperature environments, so its safety is relatively high. Even under physical damage or overcharge conditions, LFP batteries are not prone to combustion or explosion. For applications with high safety requirements, such as public transportation and home energy storage, LFP batteries are often the first choice.

Due to the strong activity of nickel and cobalt, ternary lithium batteries have poor stability at high temperatures and are prone to thermal runaway. If the battery management system (BMS) is improperly designed or under extreme conditions (overcharging, impact, etc. of ternary batteries), ternary lithium batteries have a higher risk of combustion or explosion. Therefore, the safety issues of ternary lithium batteries need to be alleviated by more complex thermal management systems.

4. Cycle life

LFP batteries have a long cycle life, usually up to 3000 to 5000 charge and discharge cycles, and some LFP batteries can even exceed 6000 times. In practical applications, LFP batteries have a much longer life than ternary lithium batteries, and are particularly suitable for scenarios that require long-term use, such as energy storage equipment and public transportation.

The cycle life of ternary lithium batteries is relatively short, generally around 1000 to 2000 times. This means that the capacity of ternary lithium batteries decays rapidly in long-term use and is not suitable for application scenarios with high cycle life requirements. However, in some areas with high energy demand, such as high-end electric vehicles, battery life can be extended through other measures (such as BMS management and reasonable usage habits).

5. Cost and resource availability

LFP batteries have lower raw material costs because the iron and phosphorus they use are abundant on the earth and have low mining costs. In addition, LFP batteries do not need to use expensive and scarce materials such as cobalt and nickel. Therefore, LFP batteries are relatively advantageous in terms of material cost and manufacturing cost. This also makes LFP batteries occupy a place in markets that require large-scale energy storage and are price-sensitive.

The prices of metals such as nickel and cobalt in ternary lithium batteries are expensive, and the supply chain of cobalt is vulnerable to global politics and market fluctuations. In addition, the ternary lithium battery has high requirements for the production environment during the manufacturing process, which increases the manufacturing cost. Despite this, the high energy density of ternary lithium batteries still makes them in great demand in the high-end electric vehicle market.

6. Temperature adaptability

LFP batteries have poor low-temperature performance. In low temperature environments (usually below 0°C), the discharge performance of LFP batteries will drop significantly. Therefore, electric vehicles using LFP batteries in cold areas often need additional heating measures to maintain battery performance. However, LFP batteries perform stably in warm or normal temperature environments.

Ternary lithium batteries have better low temperature performance, and their discharge capacity is better than LFP batteries even in cold environments. This makes ternary lithium batteries more commonly used in cold northern regions, especially in electric vehicles or outdoor equipment that require low temperature starting.

7. Environmental impact and sustainability

The constituent materials of LFP batteries are relatively environmentally friendly, and there are no obvious toxicity or environmental pollution issues, whether iron, phosphorus or lithium. In addition, the resource acquisition and production process of LFP batteries are relatively simple, and it is not easy to produce a large amount of hazardous waste. Therefore, from an environmental perspective, LFP batteries are a greener and more sustainable choice.

The cobalt and nickel in ternary lithium batteries are relatively scarce resources, and their mining and production processes may have a greater impact on the environment, especially the mining of cobalt is often accompanied by social ethical issues, such as child labor. In addition, the recycling of ternary lithium batteries is difficult, which also makes them less environmentally friendly throughout their life cycle.

8. Application Scenarios

Due to its high safety, low cost and long cycle life, LFP batteries are widely used in electric buses, home energy storage systems, outdoor energy storage equipment and other fields with high safety and life requirements. With the advancement of technology, the application field of LFP batteries has gradually expanded to economical electric vehicles, especially those consumers who do not have high requirements for battery life but pursue cost and safety.

Due to its high energy density, ternary lithium batteries are mainly used in high-end electric vehicles, consumer electronics (such as smartphones, laptops) and other fields with high battery life requirements. For those devices and vehicles that require long-term and continuous high efficiency, ternary lithium batteries are still the first choice due to their excellent performance.

Conclusion

On the whole, lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary lithium batteries have their own advantages and disadvantages, suitable for different application scenarios. LFP batteries are suitable for safety- and cost-sensitive applications such as energy storage systems, public transportation, and economical electric vehicles due to their safety, long life, and low cost. Ternary lithium batteries, with their high energy density and good low-temperature performance, are mainly used in high-end electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and other scenarios that require high energy output.