Impact of new battery tech on silver

[SilverStacker]

Good article that explains just what the new EV battery tech alone could do to market demand. If this happens, and it most likely will, it will have a huge impact on prices and will make us yearn for the days of $37 silver. https://nicoyaresearch.com/silver-soar-samsung-silver-solid-state-battery/

The article is significant not just because of its findings but because they are a research outfit and are not trying to sell you silver themselves so they have legitimacy. Ive suspected, but can't prove, the current rise in silver prices are due to these outfits quietly buying the metal in anticipation of rolling out these batterys shortly. In any event I think we'll see $50 silver, and beyond, shortly but it will take a little time. Maybe 6 mos to a year because although production hasn't kept up with demand theres still a whole lot of it above ground and Govt.'s are doing their best not to list it as a critical mineral or resource, which if they did would create a whole list of problems. One of which would be making its price a lot higher for us consumers.

 

[Voodoo]

Many years ago, feels like a lifetime, but I believe that I worked in groups that had first worked with these Silver-sulphide conducting electrolytes. I have yet to see details on the electrolytes being included. A lot of the development likely had to go into the Cathode and Anodes to go with the materials.

I imagine its somewhere along this line but they say they are using more Oxide materials then Sulfide. Big problem with the Sulphides is they all react strongly with water.

Fast Ag-Ion-Conducting GeS2–Sb2S3–AgI Glassy Electrolytes with Exceptionally Low Activation Energy​

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b10630

 

[pmbug]

There was a lot of discussion about the Samsung battery a few months ago. Conversation starts here:

Post in thread 'Silver Demand Drivers (and vault totals)'

Aug 10, 2024

• Viking

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[nickndfl]

I rubbed two 1964 Kennedy halves together and was able to make a bag of microwave popcorn.

 

[pmbug]

There are rumors that a large Chinese EV company has developed an improved solid state battery (no word that I could find on material composition or whether silver is involved):

...
Chinese auto giant BYD, already the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer, may have just redrawn the limits of battery performance. According to Chinese media, and other reports, the company is testing a new solid-state battery that can add 900 miles of range in just 12 minutes of charging.

Let that sink in. That’s nearly four times the range of many current EVs—enough to drive from New York to Chicago —and charging that’s as fast as a coffee stop.

The battery in question is being trialed in a prototype vehicle reportedly based on BYD’s Seal sedan, and one model even achieved over 1,000 miles of total range in early tests. It uses solid-state battery chemistry, which replaces the liquid electrolyte found in traditional lithium-ion cells with a solid electrolyte, improving safety, energy density, and—clearly—charging speed.

Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state variants are less prone to overheating, can be charged at higher rates, and take up less space, allowing more energy to be packed into a smaller space. Toyota, QuantumScape, and others have been developing this tech for years, but BYD’s real-world trials might give it a huge first-mover advantage.
...

The week in EV tech: 900 miles, 12 minutes—EV charging just hit warp speed

BYD tests 12-minute charges for 900-mile range; The Nissan Leaf, the first mass-market EV along with Tesla's Model S, gets a revamp.

www.digitaltrends.com

 

[Voodoo]

I don't quite understand the faster charging. Solid state conductivity should be worse than a liquid state regardless. Unless the liquid is just charge limited for safety reasons.

 

[Viking]

IB Casey.

 

[pmbug]

BYD has improved their battery tech (not sure if it uses silver or not):

BYD breaks down final barriers to electrification with Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH Charging​

• World's most advanced power battery works with world's fastest mass-produced EV charger to make recharging as easy as refuelling
• 1,500kW of charging power achieves a 10%-97% refill in just nine minutes – and even in -30deg C, 20%-97% takes only 12 minutes
• Energy-station integration opens locations to FLASH Charger Stations
• Plans for 20,000 chargers in China by end of 2026, plus overseas rollout

06 March 2026 BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of new-energy vehicles, is ready to break down the final barriers to truly widespread adoption of EVs through its self-developed FLASH Charging, delivering up to 1500kW through a single connector, and the second generation of its iconic Blade Battery.

Together, the two new technologies deliver remarkable recharging speeds, regardless of the conditions. A 10% to 70% refill takes as little as five minutes, while 10% to 97% requires only nine minutes. Even when the temperature is -30deg C, conditions that would normally result in a drastic reduction in charging speeds, the FLASH Charger can take a Blade Battery 2.0 from 20% to 97% in only 12 minutes. And the Blade Battery itself is capable of longer distances on a single charge; thanks to a 5% gain in energy density, ranges of more than 621 miles (1,000km) are now possible (Chinese CLTC efficiency test).

The new technologies are the result of intensive development by BYD, following extensive research into the barriers consumers still feel are present between them and pure-electric mobility. Despite remarkable gains in EV market penetration in most significant new-car markets worldwide, the fact remains that most buyers of pure-ICE vehicles don't pay much attention to the size of the car's fuel tank, whereas many EV customers are focused on battery capacity and range, even paying significant premiums for a few kilometres more.

Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD, emphasised today at a showcase in China that the industry needs to address the lingering challenge of slow charging speeds and poor low-temperature charging performance if the remaining consumers are to commit to electric mobility.


BLADE BATTERY 2.0 – FASTER CHARGING, MORE RANGE, EXTRA SAFETY
Developed through six years of intensive research, the second generation of BYD's Blade Battery is the foundation of the latest breakthroughs in FLASH Charging. With traditional batteries, the key qualities of fast charging and high energy density are often seen as conflicting technical goals. But BYD has resolved this trade-off, increasing energy density by five percent while significantly increasing the charging speed.

To achieve this while retaining safety and durability, BYD developed a 'FlashPass' Ion Transport System that pushes the boundaries of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

It's based on three core breakthroughs:

• the 'Flash-Release' cathode features a directionally engineered, multi-level particle-size architecture that enables dense packing and rapid deintercalation.
• the 'Flash-Flow' electrolyte uses AI-driven precision optimisation to deliver high ionic conductivity and fast ion mobility
• the 'Flash-Intercalate' anode has a multi-dimensional lithium-insertion site construction, allowing 360° 3D high-speed lithium-ion intercalation

Together, these technologies mean significantly reduced internal resistance, cutting heat generation at the source.

Further innovation in the anode, which features high-throughput electrode restructuring and graphite particles aligned perpendicular to the electrode plane, reduces lithium-ion transport resistance and allows smooth, faster intercalation – securing not only FLASH Charging performance but also the 5% increase in energy density.

Blade Battery 2.0 features a breakthrough Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer, a key component of any lithium-ion battery. BYD's solution uses molecular-level engineering and macroscopic structural optimisation to be both ultra-thin, allowing higher ionic conductivity, and highly dense, ensuring chemical stability. It also features dynamic self-repairing technology to strike the balance of 'thin yet strong'.

The technical achievements in energy density and charging speed have not come at the cost of safety or durability. In fact, Blade Battery 2.0 has passed a string of fresh benchmark safety evaluations, including the world's first simultaneous FLASH Charging and Nail-Penetration Test, which resulted in no thermal runaway, smoke or fire, even after 500 FLASH Charging cycles. The Blade Battery 2.0 also passed a thermal-runaway test after the forced short circuit of four cells simultaneously, with no fire or explosion, even when reaching temperatures of over 700°C.

Furthermore, Blade Battery 2.0 brings an advance in LFP battery durability; compared with the original Blade Battery, its overall capacity degradation is reduced by 2.5%.


FLASH CHARGER READY TO REDEFINE THE RECHARGING PROCESS
The second core component of BYD's breakthrough in charging is the FLASH Charger, capable of delivering up to 1,500kW through a single connector (Chinese-market specification), while featuring a unique T-shaped overhead design that also removes many of the less appealing aspects of the recharging procedure.

BYD has already installed 4,239 FLASH Charging stations across China (as of 5 March 2026), and it expects to have 20,000 in operation by the end of this year. To support this scale and speed of rollout in a wide variety of locations, the station is paired with an ultra-fast-discharge energy storage system that helps to break through grid restrictions. It uses a battery that gets recharged at slower speeds, and can act as both an energy reservoir to prevent grid overload and a power amplifier that enables high-power charging.

Conventional charging stations are often criticised for being cumbersome and unhygienic, with heavy connectors and cables that get dirty or wet through contact with the ground. The FLASH Charger's T-shaped design lifts these parts away from potential contaminants, while the lighter connector and a pulley-based, rail-sliding cable make it much easier to hook up a vehicle, regardless of where its charge port is connected.


EUROPEAN ROLLOUT TO BE LED BY STUNNING DENZA Z9GT
The first car featuring FLASH Charging and Blade Battery 2.0 to reach European customers will be the DENZA Z9GT, the flagship shooting-brake grand tourer from BYD's premium brand. Final specifications of the European version of the car will be issued in the coming weeks.

BYD has committed to make its FLASH Charging Stations available globally. More details on the overseas rollout plans will be communicated in due course.
...

BYD breaks down final barriers to electrification with Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH Charging - BYD

bydukmedia.com

Video:

 

[pmbug]

BYD's Blade Batteries (both version 1.0 and 2.0) are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with a cathode material of LiFePO4, an anode typically made of graphite, and no silver in their composition. They are explicitly designed to be cobalt-free and do not incorporate silver as part of their chemistry or structure.

BYD's EV charging stations, including models for AC (e.g., 7 kW or 22 kW) and DC (up to 210 kW or more in advanced flash-charging systems), primarily use materials like silicon carbide (SiC) for power chips, along with standard components such as plastics, metals (e.g., aluminum or steel casings), and copper for wiring. Some stations integrate LFP battery storage for energy management, but there is no indication of silver being used in their construction.

https://x.com/i/grok/share/bcf8d596db654eda828460ae1ce600e1

 

[nickndfl]

They can set up a seties of hybrid capacitors that charge and discharge rapidly. It is not magic.