Ford EV Partner SK On Wins Bronze At 2024 Edison Awards

Though global demand for all-electric vehicles has softened as of late, Ford EV partner and battery manufacturer SK On continues to focus on the long term and has recently expanded its relationship with other automakers while also looking at adding lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to its portfolio of offerings, too. Last year, these efforts resulted in SK On becoming the first global battery manufacturer to win an Edison Award for its NCM9 battery – the world’s first commercialized NCM (nickel, manganese, and cobalt) battery with a nickel content of nearly 90 percent. Now, SK On has repeated that feat by winning a 2024 Edson Award, too.

This year, SK On once again received a bronze award in the Smart Transportation category, this time, for its cobalt-free battery design. This unit is considered to be a true breakthrough in EV technology thanks to the fact that removing cobalt from traditional NCM cathode material compositions typically limits a battery’s lifespan due to structural instability, but in this case, the company figured out a way around that pitfall.

SK On did this by focusing on ingle-crystal cathodes and doping, successfully addressing this energy density issue in cobalt-free batteries by utilizing a unique high-voltage cell design solution. This is notable because cobalt is not only limited in terms of availability and expensive to procure, but also, there are various ethical concerns regarding its extraction, not to mention that resulting impact on the environment. Those concerns are precisely what motivated SK On to develop a cobalt-free EV battery, which has now been completed more than a year ahead of schedule.

“We are pleased to receive a Bronze award at the prestigious Edison Awards 2024 for our cobalt-free battery,” said Kim Sang-jin, Head of Platform Research at SK On. “This achievement underscores our dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation while prioritizing environmental sustainability. SK On will continue developing battery technologies that foster positive environmental and societal impacts.”

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