The Horizon Europe funded AM4BAT project is using additive manufacturing technologies for fabricating 3D lithium-ion batteries. It is focused on the development of all-solid-state batteries made by 3D printing for electric vehicle (EV) applications. The solid-state battery technology will potentially represent 70% of the market in less than 10 years.

The rapid rise of electric mobility and renewable energies is pushing the market for lithium batteries to new levels. Most battery technologies are still based on conventional liquid electrolyte systems which is a major concern for safety due to the chemical instability and flammability of liquid electrolytes.
The AM4BAT project focuses on developing an anode-free solid-state battery (SSB), fabricated in a Vat Photopolymerization 3D LCD printing process and delivering energy densities of 400 Wh/kg and 1000 Wh/L for Electric vehicle (EV) applications. The project aims at the assembly and validation of a 3 Ah cell with a charge capability of 70% of its total capacity in 5 minutes and cyclability of 3,000 cycles until 80% of the original capacity.

AM4BAT’s distinctive attributes that makes it a unique and exclusive project, such as its ability to reduce production costs and time for both cathode and electrolyte, reduce the use of lithium metal, and optimize the interface of the solid electrolyte and the cathode to obtain ionic conductivity values similar to those of conventional liquid electrolyte systems.

The AM4BAT consortium led by Leitat, is composed of 4 SMEs, 3 research organisations, 2 universities and 2 large industrial organisations. The consortium brings the necessary expertise to cover the development of such novel battery concept, from the synthesis of the materials, their modification, formulation and up-scaling, component printing and the cell assembly.