LG Energy and SNU extend LMR battery cycle life

LG Energy Solution said on September 7, 2026 that joint work with Seoul National University's Jongwoo Lim lab, published in Nature Communications, suppressed gas generation in lithium manganese-rich cells by changing the voltage window and formation process rather than the cathode chemistry. Lowering charge cutoff from 4.6 V to 4.3 V raised oxygen recovery from 86% to 97%, and a 2.0 V discharge cutoff plus cooler formation let 40 Ah cells keep 92.2% of initial energy after 883 cycles. The company said the result supports using cheaper, cobalt-free LMR materials in large-format EV cells.