China's new battery achieves fire, electricity separation for safer EVs

Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt Energy Technology has introduced the Dragon Armor 3.0 battery, featuring a novel "fire and energy separation" design aimed at enhancing electric vehicle (EV) safety and driving range. This innovation physically separates the electrical terminals from the pressure relief channels, isolating the pathways for electricity from those that vent heat, flames, and gases during battery failure. This separation helps manage thermal runaway—a dangerous chain reaction in lithium-ion batteries that can lead to fire—by directing flames away from the passenger cabin and reducing the risk of fire spreading inside the vehicle. The Dragon Armor 3.0 battery also offers improved performance and capacity, increasing total battery capacity by 7-10% within the same package size, partly due to a five-millimeter increase in cell height. It incorporates semi-solid state battery technology, which raises the self-heating temperature by 8°C, enhancing cold-weather reliability and reducing energy loss during warmup. The design delays thermal runaway escalation by 10%, raises