Review of low‐temperature lithium‐ion battery progress: New battery system design imperative

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become well-known electrochemical energy storage technology for portable electronic gadgets and electric vehicles in recent years. They are appealing for various grid applications due to their characteristics such as high energy density, high power, high efficiency, and minimal self-discharge. LIBs may now theoretically be tailored for a variety of operating circumstances and applications because of the ability to change the material properties of the electrodes and electrolytes. However, LIBs operating at low temperatures have significantly reduced capacity and power, or even do not work properly, which poses a technical barrier to market entry for hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and other portable devices. This review summarizes the state-of-art progress in electrode materials, separators, electrolytes, and charging/discharging performance for LIBs at low temperatures. Due to the sluggish kinetics, insufficient ionic conductivity at low temperatures, and sluggish desolvation, it became challenging to enhance the electrochemical performance of LIBs at reduced temperatures. This review recommends approaches to optimize the suitability of LIBs at low temperatures by employing solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), using highly conductive anodes, focusing on improving commercial cathodes, and introducing lithium-rich materials into separators. Finally, we propose an integrated electrode design strategy to improve low-temperature LIB performance.