What Factors Affect Lithium Battery Prices?

Lithium battery price is mainly composed of three parts: the cell, the protection circuit (PCM/BMS), and the enclosure. In addition, interconnect materials between cells (nickel strips, formed nickel, copper-nickel composites, busbars) affect cost. Connector types and pack assembly processes also influence final price.

(Battery Structure)

1. Cell

Cell chemistry choice impacts cost: lithium manganese oxide, lithium cobalt oxide, NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and lithium titanate have different voltages and costs.

Brand and quality also create price tiers: specialty cells, Japanese brands (Panasonic), Korean brands (Samsung, LG), and domestic manufacturers vary widely in cost.

2. PCM and BMS design

Protection circuits range from basic protection to advanced communication and full BMS. Basic protection covers overcharge, overdischarge, overcurrent and short circuit. Communication protocols include I2C, RS485, CANBUS, SMBus, etc. The BMS handles monitoring, state estimation, diagnostics, charge/discharge control, balancing and thermal management, and is critical in EV packs.

(Battery BMS)

3. Pack enclosure and mechanical design

Enclosures can be PVC sealed, plastic, or metal. Choice depends on customer requirements. PVC sealing is suitable for small, lightweight packs, while larger packs require brackets, fiberglass or metal enclosures for protection. Mold costs for plastic housings can be significant during product development. Metal enclosures with waterproofing or special materials increase cost further.

Overall, battery cost derives from cell chemistry and quality, PCM/BMS features, and structural components. Manufacturing yield, aging test cost, management overhead, and purchase volume also cause price variation.