Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Dr. Jeff Dahn explains the battery tradeoffs behind LFP — lithium iron phosphate — and how it compares with emerging sodium-ion batteries.
LFP batteries are now widely used in EVs and energy storage because they are durable, relatively affordable, and avoid some of the more expensive materials used in other lithium-ion chemistries. But where does LFP work best, where do the tradeoffs matter, and what role could sodium-ion batteries play in the future?
In this presentation, Jeff looks at LFP performance, battery temperature, state-of-health tracking, real-world data from electric rickshaws in India, and the long-term sustainability potential of sodium-ion chemistries.
Dr. Jeff Dahn is professor emeritus at Dalhousie University and one of the world’s leading battery scientists.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: LFP batteries and tradeoffs
00:32 Energy density comparison: NMC, LFP, and sodium-ion
02:54 Lab testing: LFP vs NMC vs sodium-ion cycle life at 40°C
03:40 Real-world degradation vs. lab cycling
04:14 How temperature affects lithium-ion battery aging
05:24 LFP’s flat voltage curve and state-of-charge calibration
06:54 Case study: Zenfinity Energy’s e-rickshaws in India
07:47 India’s climate and lead-acid vs. LFP adoption
09:02 Air-cooled battery packs in extreme heat
09:52 Reading real fleet voltage, state-of-charge, and temperature data
12:04 How LFP cells age and how to track state of health
15:15 Zenfinity fleet state-of-health data from 191 rickshaws
16:00 Live look at the Zenfinity monitoring dashboard
19:15 Switching to sodium-ion: can it replace LFP?
21:04 Material abundance and long-term scalability
23:39 Sodium iron pyrophosphate: energy density and cycle life
25:15 Best-fit applications: EVs vs. stationary energy storage
26:15 Summary and key takeaways
Presented by EV Society as part of Canada Talks Electric Cars.
#ElectricVehicles #EVBatteries #BatteryTechnology
Dr. Jeff Dahn explains the battery tradeoffs behind LFP — lithium iron phosphate — and how it compares with emerging sodium-ion batteries.
LFP batteries are now widely used in EVs and energy storage because they are durable, relatively affordable, and avoid some of the more expensive materials used in other lithium-ion chemistries. But where does LFP work best, where do the tradeoffs matter, and what role could sodium-ion batteries play in the future?
In this presentation, Jeff looks at LFP performance, battery temperature, state-of-health tracking, real-world data from electric rickshaws in India, and the long-term sustainability potential of sodium-ion chemistries.
Dr. Jeff Dahn is professor emeritus at Dalhousie University and one of the world’s leading battery scientists.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: LFP batteries and tradeoffs
00:32 Energy density comparison: NMC, LFP, and sodium-ion
02:54 Lab testing: LFP vs NMC vs sodium-ion cycle life at 40°C
03:40 Real-world degradation vs. lab cycling
04:14 How temperature affects lithium-ion battery aging
05:24 LFP’s flat voltage curve and state-of-charge calibration
06:54 Case study: Zenfinity Energy’s e-rickshaws in India
07:47 India’s climate and lead-acid vs. LFP adoption
09:02 Air-cooled battery packs in extreme heat
09:52 Reading real fleet voltage, state-of-charge, and temperature data
12:04 How LFP cells age and how to track state of health
15:15 Zenfinity fleet state-of-health data from 191 rickshaws
16:00 Live look at the Zenfinity monitoring dashboard
19:15 Switching to sodium-ion: can it replace LFP?
21:04 Material abundance and long-term scalability
23:39 Sodium iron pyrophosphate: energy density and cycle life
25:15 Best-fit applications: EVs vs. stationary energy storage
26:15 Summary and key takeaways
Presented by EV Society as part of Canada Talks Electric Cars.
#ElectricVehicles #EVBatteries #BatteryTechnology
