In 2020, Tesla introduced its 4680 large-format cylindrical battery, featuring tabless and dry electrode technologies. At the time, it was positioned as a major step forward in electric vehicle battery design.
Since then, demand for faster charging has grown across the EV industry. Batteries rated for 4C, 6C, and even 12C charging capabilities—mainly prismatic aluminum-shell and pouch cells—have entered the market. In comparison, development of large-format cylindrical cells like the 4680 has slowed.
Cylindrical structures are less effective at heat dissipation than prismatic or pouch designs, limiting fast-charging performance. Thermal management remains a key challenge. While prismatic cells continue to advance in ultrafast charging, cylindrical cells have yet to match that pace. This lag, combined with production inefficiencies and lower-than-expected yield rates, has led to increasing skepticism. Some in the industry have questioned whether large-format cylindrical cells remain viable.
Talent New Energy is working to address that concern. The company recently unveiled its “cold core” battery technology, developed through coordinated changes in structure, materials, and manufacturing processes.
On the structural side, Talent’s axial-through design tackles the core thermal issue by directing heat outward from the center of the cell. Two configurations are offered: semi-through holes and full-through holes. Both are built on conventional bottom-side liquid cooling. The semi-through version uses a single-sided tab and increases heat exchange surface area by 17–20%. The full-through version routes both tabs to opposite ends, creating a thermal pathway that reduces heat accumulation at the center.
The cold core battery tech also integrates axial and bottom-side cooling, effectively installing a cooling mechanism inside the cell to address longstanding thermal bottlenecks in cylindrical formats.
Material innovations complement this structural redesign. Modified cathode coatings are applied to enhance ion transport and create a three-dimensional conductive network to reduce resistance. The anode uses isotropic graphite and a multi-layer coating process to smooth lithium-ion flow. These adjustments aim to improve charge and discharge speeds without compromising safety.
Talent also introduced new manufacturing processes. An annular welding technique is utilized to improve connections between the tab, current collector, and casing, reducing internal resistance. To prevent electrode loosening during winding, a spool reinforcement process keeps layers compact, which helps maintain performance over time.
The battery’s production system is said to be modular and flexible, supporting different material systems and allowing for shared processes across models. This setup is intended to reduce costs and accelerate mass production readiness.
Talent’s 4695 and 50190 series cells, which use the cold core architecture, have reportedly shown improved charging speeds and environmental resilience. They support 6C fast charging, reaching 80% charge from 10% in about nine minutes, and maintain stable output in temperatures ranging from minus 30 to 55 degrees Celsius.
By aligning structural, material, and process improvements, Talent’s cold core battery tech offers a potential path to resolving the thermal and fast-charging limitations of cylindrical cells. With more than 30 related patents filed, the company seeks to position this technology as a competitive option in the evolving battery landscape.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Han Yongchang for 36Kr.