Comprehensive Assessment of Novel Technologies for Electrolyte Filling in Lithium-Ion Battery Production

Electric vehicles play a pivotal role in the decarbonization of the mobility sector. However, their success depends on low-cost, high-performance batteries, requiring continuous optimization of their production processes. Electrolyte filling is a critical and costly bottleneck in the cell assembly and influences the quality and safety of the cells, offering great potential for identifying process optimizations. The aim of this study is to complement existing studies by analyzing and evaluating novel technologies for electrolyte filling and thus to provide guidance for industry and science. A systematic literature and patent search led to the identification of sixteen relevant technologies. These were evaluated by a group of experts from the scientific community to identify the most promising technologies. As a result of this evaluation, five technologies emerged that were assessed as positive compared to the state of the art. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the dominating trend in electrolyte filling will be direct pressurization of the battery cells with increasing pressures. Apart from this trend, no other fundamentally new process technologies for industrial use are currently foreseeable. Our findings indicate that both academics and practitioners should focus future research and industrial efforts on optimizing and understanding the current process.