Jinqi Li

As electric vehicles play a pivotal role in China’s carbon neutrality strategy, the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of electric vehicle batteries have become critical to sustainable industry growth. This study analyzes the material content of 100 mainstream power battery cells, which represent over 50% of the Chinese market, revealing that cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes collectively account for 70 to 85% of the total cell mass with systematic allocation differences: The average mass of cathode materials in LFP cells accounts for 41%, higher than NCM cells’ 36%. By employing the EverBatt model and constructing a Chinese EV battery cell carbon footprint influencing factor analysis model, the cell carbon footprints were assessed. The results show that LFP battery cells demonstrate a lower carbon footprint at 49.42 kg CO₂-eq/kWh. In comparison, NCM variants exhibit significantly higher emissions: NCM811 at 63.08 kg CO₂-eq/kWh, NCM622 at 64.86 kg CO₂-eq/kWh, and NCM523 at 65.16 kg CO₂-eq/kWh. Notably, the type of cathode material is identified as the primary driver of carbon footprint variations. The average NCM footprint exceeds LFP by 21.92 kg CO₂-eq/kWh, representing a 44% increase. Regional electricity carbon intensity ranks second, where each unit increase elevates emissions by 6.38 kg CO₂-eq/kWh. These findings provide critical data for establishing carbon footprint performance class standards for power batteries and directly inform low-carbon procurement decisions for sustainable electric vehicle development.

The physicochemical properties of catalysts significantly influence the overall performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the complexity arising from numerous interrelated parameters presents significant challenges in establishing comprehensive structure–performance relationships for advanced PEMFC systems. This study systematically evaluates three commercial Pt/C catalysts with distinct morphology and structural characteristics to reveal their specific functional impacts on fuel cell performance. The results indicate the abundant micropores and small-sized Pt nanoparticles, embedded in micropores, can significantly enhance the catalytic performance at the cathode side. Conversely, hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), at the anode side, prefers to occur on the surface-active site of carbon support. Furthermore, an asymmetric membrane electrode assembly configuration incorporating optimized catalysts and gas diffusion layer achieves a maximum power density of 2.52 W cm⁻² (200 kPa absolute pressure with H₂ and O₂ supplying) with good stability, attributed to synergistic improvements in active site utilization and the mass transfer process. This work enhances the fundamental understanding of catalyst microstructure-performance correlations while offering practical insights for Pt/C catalyst selection and electrode architecture design in PEMFC applications.