There are various ways to classify lithium batteries, mainly based on dimensions such as materials, appearance, process and application fields, as follows.
Classification by positive electrode material
1. Ternary lithium battery (NCM/NCA)
Material: lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM) or lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA).
Features: high energy density (suitable for long battery life requirements), but high cost, slightly poor high temperature stability.
Application: new energy vehicles (such as Tesla), high-end consumer electronics.
2. Lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP)
Material: lithium iron phosphate as the positive electrode.
Features: high safety, long cycle life (about 2,000 times), high temperature resistance, but low energy density.
Application: electric vehicles (BYD), energy storage system.
3. Lithium manganese oxide battery (LMO)
Material: lithium manganese oxide.
Features: low cost, good low temperature performance, but fast capacity decay and easy expansion at high temperature.
Application: power tools, light electric vehicles.
4. Lithium cobalt oxide battery (LCO)
Material: lithium cobalt oxide.
Features: small size, high voltage, but low safety and short cycle life.
Application: mobile phones, laptops.
5. Lithium titanate battery (LTO)
Material: lithium titanate (often combined with lithium manganese oxide, etc.).
Features: ultra-long cycle life (over 10,000 times), fast charging and discharging, but the lowest energy density.
Application: public transportation, grid energy storage.
Classification by appearance
1. Cylindrical battery
Structure: typical such as 18650 (diameter 18mm, height 65mm).
Features: standardized production, strong earthquake resistance, but limited single capacity.
Application: mobile power, early electric vehicles (such as Tesla).
2. Square battery
Structure: aluminum shell or steel shell packaging, customizable size.
Features: large capacity, strong adaptability, support stacking/winding process.
Application: mainstream electric vehicles (such as BYD), energy storage equipment.
3. Soft pack battery
Structure: aluminum plastic film packaging, thin and deformable.
Features: high energy density, flexible design, but poor pressure resistance.
Application: smart phones, flexible devices (such as folding screen phones).
Classification by packaging material
1. Aluminum shell battery: high safety, mostly used in square batteries.
2. Steel shell battery: low cost, commonly used in cylindrical batteries (such as 18650).
3. Soft pack battery: aluminum plastic film packaging, lightweight but requires additional protection structure.
Classification by application scenario
1. Consumer battery: portable devices such as mobile phones and laptops.
2. Power battery: electric vehicles, power tools.
3. Energy storage batteries: household energy storage and grid peak regulation.