LTO batteries: The future of heavy-duty commercial vehicles

Traction batteries for heavy-duty vehicles must meet challenging demands. For example, dump trucks require rapid charging to minimise downtime, while long battery life reduces the TCO. LTO batteries are superior for heavy-duty vehicles like rail cars, buses, ships, trucks, cranes, and power grid stabilisation systems.

The shift from diesel to battery-electric drives

Diesel engines dominate heavy-duty applications but pose health and environmental risks, including harmful emissions and heat generation. In mining, diesel machines require significant ventilation and cooling systems, increasing operational costs. As emissions regulations tighten, industries are transitioning to cleaner battery-electric drives. LTO batteries, among other chemistries like lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP), are particularly suited for these applications. Toshiba, a pioneer in LTO technology, has developed SCiB™ battery cells to meet the requirements for heavy-duty use.

Key advantages of LTO batteries

LTO batteries utilise lithium titanium oxide anodes, unlike conventional graphite-based anodes, offering several benefits. Their zero strain technology enables exceptional cycle stability, contributing to an extended lifespan and a reduction in TCO, even in the case of high depth of discharge (DoD). These cells can charge rapidly, reaching 80% state of charge in approximately three minutes.

Thanks to the safety margin between the electrochemical potential of lithium metal and LTO, the risk of dendrite formation is vastly reduced, even at high charging C-rates and in temperatures as low as -30°C. The inherent self-protection property of LTO further mitigates the risk of thermal runaway and internal short circuits, ensuring safety even in cases of deformation or externally induced internal short circuits.

Case studies: Economic and environmental impact

Despite initial costs often being the focus, the long-term economic benefit of LTO batteries in minimising the TCO is significant, especially for heavy-duty commercial vehicles with extended operational lifespans of 10 – 25 years. Toshiba conducted simulations to demonstrate LTO technology advantages and its impact on the TCO in such vehicles:

Normet M-Range vehicle

A 90 kWh LTO battery with a DoD of 89% was simulated under demanding conditions. With fast charging at 155 kW, the battery retained 82% capacity after 15 years and 28 000 cycles. Compared to LFP batteries, which may require replacement up to eight times during the same period, LTO reduced TCO by up to 4.5 times and generated significantly less waste.

Dump truck application

In a simulation of a 20-year operation, a 920 kWh LTO battery with 20 Ah high-power cells maintained 83% capacity after 138 000 cycles. Rapid recharging during three-minute loading intervals required a C-rate of 8.3C. Unlike LFP batteries, which may require annual replacement, LTO batteries reduced TCO by a factor of 16 and produced up to 64 times less waste.

Conclusion

LTO batteries are addressing the industry’s needs for heavy-duty vehicles by delivering unparalleled cost efficiency over the end product lifetime, safety, rapid charging and sustainability. Toshiba’s SCiB™ product range, including High Power, Combination, and High Energy cells, offers optimised products for diverse applications. By adopting LTO technology, industries can reduce environmental impact while increasing economic efficiency.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/technology-digitalisation/10122024/lto-batteries-the-future-of-heavy-duty-commercial-vehicles/