Power batteries occupy a core position in the new energy vehicle industry, and their development directly affects the promotion and application of new energy vehicles. By the end of 2023, global power battery production capacity has soared to 2.2 TWh, far exceeding the demand of 750 GWh that year. However, this has also raised a series of issues, such as the lack of unified carbon footprint accounting regulations in various countries, obstacles in supply chain due diligence, data sharing, and cross-border transmission, and the urgent need to solve the problem of recycling and regeneration of batteries after large-scale retirement. At the same time, the research and development of new system battery technology is progressing rapidly, with continuous breakthroughs in solid-state batteries, lithium metal batteries, lithium rich manganese based batteries, sodium ion batteries, and other technologies, enriching the future technological roadmap.

In the process of industrial development, the recycling of power batteries has become a key issue. With the popularization of new energy vehicles, the first batch of power batteries are experiencing a peak in recycling. The relevant person in charge of the International Energy Agency pointed out that in the future, it is necessary to expand the recycling efforts of battery materials. Battery recycling enterprises and production enterprises should strengthen cooperation, and the layout of recycling outlets should be accelerated globally. BASF personnel stated that recycling helps reduce carbon emissions. Ningde Times Chairman Zeng Yuqun revealed that the company has a capacity to handle 270000 tons of waste batteries, which will reach 1 million tons in the future, and has established a battery lifecycle management system. In addition, the battery passport has become a key factor for China’s battery “going global”. According to EU regulations, specific specifications of batteries entering the European market from 2026 require a battery passport.

From the perspective of technological innovation, BYD’s Chief Scientist, Lian Yubo, believes that although solid-state batteries have development prospects, cost and other issues still need to be solved. In the future, they may be mainly used in high-end car models, and lithium iron phosphate batteries still have advantages in popular new energy vehicles. Wan Gang, Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, pointed out that the technology route of power batteries presents two directions: high specific energy and high cost-effectiveness. The high specific energy route improves energy density through solid-liquid mixed electrolytes and all solid state batteries, while the high cost-effectiveness route is represented by the progress of lithium iron phosphate batteries. At the same time, basic research such as lithium sulfur batteries is also being promoted.