Zap Logistics is a technology company based in California that was founded in 2009 with a focus on developing electric vehicle technology. One of their major innovations has been in the area of battery design and chemistry. Through extensive research and development efforts over the past decade, Zap Logistics has created a proprietary lithium-ion battery technology that offers significant improvements over traditional lithium-ion battery designs.

At the core of Zap’s battery technology is an advanced lithium-ion chemistry that utilizes a combination of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in the cathode. By combining NMC and LFP in a layered cathode structure, Zap is able to take advantage of the high energy density and power capabilities of NMC while also gaining the thermal stability and longevity of LFP. Extensive testing and modeling led Zap to determine an optimum 60/40 ratio of NMC to LFP that balances these different material properties.

Another major area of advancement for Zap’s battery technology relates to the anode composition and structure. Conventional graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries can expand and contract significantly during the charge/discharge process, leading to mechanical stress and degradation over time. Zap solved this problem through the use of a silicon-graphite composite anode. By doping finely-tuned levels of silicon nanoparticles into the graphite anode material, Zap was able to substantially increase the battery’s energy storage capacity while still maintaining excellent cycle life. The silicon improves the energy density while the graphite structure encases and supports the silicon to prevent mechanical failures.

In addition to optimized cathode and anode compositions, Zap also developed advanced separator materials, electrolyte formulations, and battery management technologies that have allowed them to push the performance limits of their lithium-ion design. Their separator membranes are only 20 microns thick yet can withstand extreme temperatures without failing. The proprietary electrolyte was custom formulated to provide excellent ionic conductivity and be stable at both low and high voltages. Zap also holds multiple patents related to their battery management system, which uses advanced voltage, current, and thermal modeling to precisely control charging protocols and prevent damage from overcharging or overheating.

Extensive lab and road testing has demonstrated the capabilities of Zap’s proprietary battery technology. At a standard discharge rate of C/3, Zap batteries can provide over 300 watt-hours of energy per kilogram of battery weight – a significant advance over most standard lithium-ion designs that usually offer 250-275 watt-hours per kg.Perhaps more impressively, Zap batteries maintain over 90% of their rated capacity even after 4000 full charge-discharge cycles in lab tests. This equates to a lifespan over 4 times longer than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Real-world driving results have shown Zap battery packs to provide over 250 miles of range for electric delivery vehicles even in hot or cold weather extremes. This is a major improvement over same-vehicle tests conducted with off-the-shelf batteries that only achieved around 200 miles per charge. Telemetry data from over 10 million miles of commercial electric vehicle operation also demonstrates the reliability and cycle life of Zap batteries, with very low failure rates observed.

In addition to powering Zap’s own electric vehicles, the company is working to license their advanced battery technology to other automakers, shuttles/bus OEMs, as well as energy storage system providers. Zap estimates their battery design offers a 15-30% cost reduction over generic lithium-ion batteries due to reduced materials needs and a much longer lifespan before replacement is required. This could significantly improve the business case for electrification across multiple transportation sectors.

Through years of intensive R&D effort, Zap Logistics has created a truly breakthrough lithium-ion battery technology that improves practically every metric that matters – from energy density and cycling performance to safety, reliability, lifespan and reduced costs. With nearly a decade of rigorous lab and road testing now completed, their batteries have proven at-scale viability and are poised to power the next generation of electric vehicles while also enhancing global energy storage capabilities. Zap’s novel and proprietary design represents a great example of how advanced research can yield step-change innovations beyond existing lithium-ion boundaries.