What determines the cycle life of a lithium-ion battery?

The cycle life of a lithium-ion battery is primarily determined by the number of charge cycles it can undergo before experiencing significant capacity loss. This is a crucial metric because it directly reflects the battery's longevity and performance over time. A charge cycle refers to the process of fully charging and discharging the battery, and as this process is repeated, the battery undergoes chemical and structural changes that can lead to degradation in capacity.

When a battery completes a cycle, various factors such as electrode degradation, electrolyte breakdown, and lithium plating can contribute to a gradual decline in its ability to hold charge. Therefore, the cycle life is measured by how many of these cycles the battery can tolerate before it reaches a predefined capacity threshold, typically around 80% of its original capacity. Understanding this allows manufacturers and users to gauge the expected lifespan of the battery based on usage patterns.

While factors such as temperature, charging voltage, and physical size do play a role in the performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries, they are secondary considerations. High temperatures can accelerate degradation, inappropriate charging voltage can cause stress, and physical size can influence energy density and power output, but these aspects do not fundamentally change the definition of cycle life itself. Thus, the accurate determinant of cycle life is indeed the