The global transition toward electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated demand for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), making quality, safety, and reliability in battery manufacturing critical challenges. These requirements can be effectively addressed through nondestructive evaluation (NDE), particularly within the emerging NDE 4.0 paradigm. NDE 4.0 integrates advanced sensing, automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to enable real-time, in-line inspection and data-driven quality control in battery manufacturing. This review systematically analyzes the role of NDE 4.0 in lithium-ion battery production by classifying common manufacturing defects, reviewing applicable NDE techniques, and mapping their implementation across key manufacturing stages, including electrode fabrication, cell assembly, formation, and end-of-line inspection. The main outcome of this study is a structured framework that links NDE methods to defect types, manufacturing stages, and levels of digital integration, highlighting how NDE 4.0 enhances defect detectability, process feedback, and manufacturing reliability. By synthesizing recent advances in ultrasonic evaluation, X-ray imaging, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, infrared thermography, and acoustic emission within an Industry 4.0 context, this work identifies current limitations, readiness levels, and research gaps that must be addressed for large-scale industrial adoption. Overall, the review demonstrates that NDE 4.0 is a key enabler for improving safety, yield, and scalability in EV battery manufacturing.
Salimibeni et al. (Fri,) studied this question.