Pure Lithium Achieves 9,315 Cycles With Advanced Anode Battery in Lab Testing
The lithium metal battery cells are still cycling and showing negligible capacity fade.
Pure Lithium has cycled its Advanced Anode lithium metal battery more than 9,315 times at 100% depth of discharge in laboratory testing, with the cells still actively cycling and showing negligible capacity fade.
What Happened
The Boston-based company tested its battery cells at a 1C charge/discharge rate—fully charging or draining the battery in one hour. Pure Lithium reported that larger performance swings appeared early in the data due to temperature control issues and power failures at its original laboratory facility. The company estimates conventional commercial lithium-ion batteries achieve between 250 and 2,000 cycles depending on application. In January 2025, Pure Lithium had reported more than 2,200 cycles from an anode designed for just 1,000 cycles while maintaining above 80% capacity.
Why It Matters
Cycle life has been the primary barrier to commercializing lithium metal batteries. The company states that replacing a conventional graphite anode with lithium metal can double energy density while reducing weight and cost. Founder Emilie Bodoin cited cycle life as the single largest determinant of levelized cost of storage, estimating potential LCOS reduction at 75%. If validated commercially, this performance could expand lithium metal batteries into applications previously out of reach—including grid-scale energy storage, data centers, and electric vehicles.
The Bottom Line
Pure Lithium says no other lithium metal battery in development has matched its cycle-life result under equivalent testing conditions. The company claims the achievement indicates the technology is ready to serve markets including EVs, grid storage, and data centers.
