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Lithium iron phosphate battery
Type of rechargeable battery / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO
4 battery) or LFP battery (lithium ferrophosphate) is a type of lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO
4) as the cathode material, and a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing as the anode.
Because of their low cost, high safety, low toxicity, long cycle life and other factors, LFP batteries are finding a number of roles in vehicle use, utility-scale stationary applications, and backup power.[7] LFP batteries are cobalt-free.[8] As of September 2022, LFP type battery market share for EVs reached 31%, and of that, 68% were from EV makers Tesla and BYD alone.[9] Chinese manufacturers currently hold a near monopoly of LFP battery type production.[10] With patents having started to expire in 2022 and the increased demand for cheaper EV batteries,[11] LFP type production is expected to rise further and surpass lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC) type batteries in 2028.[12]
![]() A Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) AA battery (right) shown next to a battery placeholder (left) | |
Specific energy | 90–160 Wh/kg (320–580 J/g or kJ/kg)[1]
Next gen: 180–205 Wh/kg[2] |
---|---|
Energy density | 325 Wh/L (1200 kJ/L)[1] |
Specific power | around 200 W/kg[3] |
Energy/consumer-price | 1-4 Wh/US$[4][5] |
Time durability | > 10 years |
Cycle durability | 2,750–12,000[6] cycles |
Nominal cell voltage | 3.2 V |
The specific energy of LFP batteries is lower than that of other common lithium-ion battery types such as nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA). The specific energy of CATL's LFP battery is currently 125 Watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and up to possibly 160 Wh/kg with improved packing technology. BYD's LFP battery specific energy is 150 Wh/kg. The best NMC batteries exhibit specific energy values of over 300 Wh/kg. Notably, the specific energy of Panasonic’s “2170” NCA batteries used in Tesla’s 2020 Model 3 is around 260 Wh/kg, which is 70% of its "pure chemicals" value. LFP batteries also exhibit a lower operating voltage than other lithium-ion battery types.