South 8 Debuts its Arctic™ LiGas® Battery Electrolyte for Reliable, Safe Performance in Extreme Environments

South 8's new 18650 battery cell uses the company's liquefied gas electrolyte to minimize fire risk while delivering world-record cold weather performance

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- South 8 Technologies ("South 8"), the first to develop and commercialize LiGas^®, liquefied gas electrolyte for advanced lithium-ion batteries, today introduced its Arctic™ LiGas 18650 cell at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) (booth #615) in San Diego.

Arctic LiGas cells, which replace traditional toxic and flammable liquid electrolyte with South 8's revolutionary liquefied gas electrolyte, are a safe and versatile high-performance lithium-ion solution. South 8 is currently shipping Arctic LiGas cells to select customers for deployments across various markets and applications including defense, electric vehicles, stationary storage, and battery-powered industrial equipment. Arctic is the first in a family of lithium-ion battery cell formats and chemistries that South 8 is introducing to support the growing demand for batteries with superior performance.

"LiGas addresses serious lithium-ion pain points: fire risk and depleted energy at low temperatures," noted South 8 CEO Tom Stepien.  "Arctic LiGas cells solve these 'fire and ice'™ problems by minimizing thermal propagation with a non-toxic blend of gases that dissipate harmlessly when punctured or overheated. Arctic cells have the industry's lowest operating temperature, providing energy down to --60°C (-76°F). We are excited to help our customers safely and efficiently operate in new environments and applications."

"We are delighted to deliver Arctic LiGas cells to our customer base of battery manufacturers and end-users who are validating our unique technology," said Jungwoo Lee, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. "Through internal and third-party testing, LiGas consistently demonstrates boundary-pushing performance in extreme environments and conditions."

Battery demand across electric vehicles and stationary energy storage is projected to grow at a pace of 53% year-on-year, reaching 950 gigawatt-hours in 2023, according to a November 2023 report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Growth is projected to continue, reaching more than 5,800 gigawatt-hours in 2035. Arctic LiGas is one of many lithium-ion battery innovations that will help cell manufacturers deliver safer and more capable solutions to this fast growing, worldwide market.

South 8 will be exhibiting in booth #615 at the upcoming Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) to be held in San Diego, December 11-14, 2023.

About South 8 Technologies

South 8 solves lithium-ion's "fire and ice™" problems with LiGas^®, a patented liquefied gas electrolyte. LiGas reduces lithium-ion fire risk and operates from -60 to 60 °C, enabling clean battery power to more applications, environments and people. The San Diego-based company has been granted twenty-three patents across seven countries and jurisdictions. South 8 investors include Anzu Partners, LG Technology Ventures, Shell Ventures, Foothill Ventures, Taiyo Nippon Sanso and Lockheed Martin Ventures.

SOURCE South 8 Technologies