Rigid structural battery: Progress and outlook

The advancement of high-energy-density batteries is vital for the development of lightweight, durable, and intelligent fully electric mobility systems. Reducing battery weight not only increases energy density but also confers load-bearing properties to the energy storage setup. These integrated batteries, known as rigid structural batteries, effectively encapsulate the concept of structural energy storage. The design of rigid structural batteries follows principles of mechanical/electrochemical decoupling at the microscale, and coupling at the macroscale. Based on achieving mechanical/electrochemical decoupling at different scales, we categorize rigid structural batteries into component-level, unit-level, and material-level rigid structural batteries. This review aims to summarize the progress in this field concerning mechanical/electrochemical decoupling at various scales and discuss fundamental design principles and core issues to address in rigid structural batteries. It also proposes strategies for the expeditious implementation of rigid structural batteries, aiming for long-term breakthroughs to surpass performance bottlenecks.