Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries to power Chrysler’s Halcyon Concept car

Lyten reports its batteries offer double the energy density of those made from traditional lithium-ion chemistries due to their graphene cell.

March 11, 2024 Jerusha Kamoji

Halcyon Concept car from Chrysler.

Image: Chrysler

The Chrysler Halcyon Concept, expected to launch in 2025, will run on lithium-sulfur battery technology from Lyten, a California-based manufacturer.

Lyten’s 800V lithium-sulfur batteries feature Lyten 3D graphene, a material that eliminates the need for nickel, cobalt or manganese in a battery cell. The compound is created by converting greenhouse gasses into solid carbon and hydrogen gas. Lyten states the hydrogen gas is repurposed as a clean fuel while the carbon is separated and formed into a three-dimensional substance called graphene. The battery manufacturer refers to graphene as a supermaterial due to its tunability. Graphene’s atoms can be engineered to bond with various elements on the periodic table, reducing the risk of thermal runaway while optimizing energy density, elasticity and lightness, among other variables.

Lyten said its 800V lithium-sulfur batteries offer an energy density that ranges between 3000 Wh/kg and 600 Wh/kg. That’s about two times the energy density of batteries made from lithium-ion chemistries, including lithium-ion phosphate and lithium-ion-nickel-manganese-cobalt, which have an energy density that ranges between 100 Wh/kg and 400Wh/kg, according to the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington.

Lyten projects its batteries will result in a 170 kg weight reduction compared to applications using lithium-ion batteries due to the lightness of the 800 V product’s chemistry. Research published in Stanford Advanced Materials states that the lightweight nature of sulfur reduces the overall weight of the vehicle, thus enhancing efficiency.

Designing a cathode without nickel, cobalt, and manganese and an anode without graphite also has social, supply chain and economic benefits. Lyten does not need to rely on sourcing cobalt, a material that continues to raise concerns around environmental degradation and human rights abuses. The manufacturer’s graphene development process reduces the miles from resource extraction to final assembly from 50,000 to 3000, the company reports, as all materials are sourced and manufactured in the U.S.

“We believe our lithium-sulfur batteries represent the future battery platform of electric vehicles, sourced through entirely local supply chains and manufactured in the U.S., Europe, and eventually around the globe,” said Dan Cook, Lyten’s CEO and co-founder. “We’ve been able to dramatically accelerate the development timeline of lithium-sulfur through the discovery and commercialization of our graphene innovation.”

In June 2023, Lyten opened its first lithium-sulfur production facility in San Jose, California. The campus features a Graphene Lab and an automated lithium-sulfur production line that develops 200,000 cells each year.

Lyten is working toward delivering commercial cells to non-EV and government consumers throughout the rest of this year. The company is configuring its graphene material to develop more lightweight solutions that charge faster and offer increased conductivity, optimum resistivity and permeability. Lyten is testing how to restore recycled materials to virgin properties while replacing non-recyclable polymers and composites with Graphene Polyethylene. Lyten says the substance offers over 40% more stiffness and over 22% more flexibility.

The company reports it has raised over $410 million in funding to date, receiving investments from organizations including automobile corporation Stellantis, FedEx, and the multi-national product conglomerate Honeywell.

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