Solid State Battery

Toyota has seemingly been lagging behind in the EV race but that might finally be about to change. With its in-house solid-state battery launch by 2027-28, Toyota has finally come around to mainstream electrification. Industry experts and customers were intrigued by Toyota’s decision to keep investing its time and resources in hydrogen and other alternative energy sources to power its future automobiles. While the entire industry is making a gradual shift towards EVs, Toyota was busy exploring all other possible avenues to arrive at eco-friendly mobility solutions. This doesn’t mean that it was averse to EVs. In fact, it had announced comprehensive plans to launch 30 BEVs (including Lexus cars) by the end of the decade. But in comparison to the legacy automakers and new startups, it was definitely sluggish. That is why this announcement of developing in-house next-gen batteries in association with Idemitsu was welcome news. However, there is a rather peculiar issue with that as well. You might also like: Nissan Sets Out to Revolutionize Its Solid-State Battery Technology Toyota to Launch Solid-State Battery by 2027 As per the official press release from Toyota, its collaboration with the Japanese petroleum company Idemitsu to create next-gen EV batteries will unfold in three phases – Toyota Motor Corporation President and CEO, Koji Sato said, “Idemitsu Kosan and Toyota Motor Corporation have agreed to collaborate on the mass production of solid-state batteries. Specifically, our two companies will combine their separate efforts to mass-produce new materials and establish a supply chain for solid electrolytes, which hold the key to the commercialization of solid-state batteries. First, between 2027 and 2028, we will start to produce solid-state batteries for use in battery electric vehicles. We will then lay the foundation for mass production.” You might also like: Best Methods and Challenges of Recycling Electric Vehicle Batteries Toyota’s Battery Technology Roadmap Toyota also provided a step-by-step roadmap toward achieving the target of a 1,200 km-range (746 mi) EV battery in the coming years. This starts with launching the first of its next-gen batteries starting in 2026. They will offer a range in excess of 800 km (497 mi). It would be able to hit this number even with Lithium-ion chemistry. With the Li-Fe-PO chemistry, the company aims to produce EV batteries which could provide an impressive range of over 1,000 km (621 miles) on a single charge. For these batteries, the EV owners will be able to charge from 10% to 80% in just 20 mins. After 2027-28, the Lithium-ion batteries will finally feature solid-state electrolytes. They will be able to offer a range of over 1,200 km with a 10-minute charging time for 10-80% SoC. Problem with Solid-State Battery from Toyota While all this sounds appropriate and promising, the Japanese automaker mentions that there will be enough solid-state batteries for a few thousand EVs even in 2027-28. As a matter of fact, by 2030 when the company plans to go into the “mass production” phase, there will only be around 10,000 batteries. Interestingly, Toyota wants to sell around 3.5 million BEVs by 2030, as per its plans. Surely, 10,000 doesn’t sound like much. Not to mention, even this will happen if the Japanese carmaker promises to keep its word. You might also like: Potential and Challenges of Electric Vehicle Battery Swapping Learn Electric Cars Says Toyota might well be late to the party, but that is not the only concerning thing. Its plans are still not convincing enough to make it one of the top players in the world in the electrification age. Our readers might already know that Toyota has held the position of the largest carmaker in the world on multiple occasions. However, transitioning into the EV age might change that. Firstly, it had been reluctant to give up on hydrogen and alternate sources of fuel and technology. Now that it has finally announced huge plans for EVs in the coming decade, its technology and commitment toward EV batteries seems lacking in terms of the volume it aims to sell. It would be interesting to see if Toyota makes any changes to the timeline or the volume before its sold-state battery launch.

There are over 40 solid-state battery companies for EVs across the world at the moment. Some of these are owned or operated by the legacy carmakers themselves to stay ahead in the competition of the EV wave. These batteries have a cathode (+) and a solid-state ceramic separator in contact with the anode (-) which is formed after ion transfer. As the battery charges, the Lithium ions travel through the ceramic separator and deposit on the contact surface on the other side making an anode of pure metallic Lithium. You might also like: Does the Future of EVs Rest on Sodium Ion Batteries? This Lithium metal anode allows the energy to be stored in the battery in a smaller area increasing the energy density. Hence, the overall weight of this configuration is lower than the regular Lithium-ion batteries, the energy density is higher leading to an increased range, charging times are shorter and the system is non-inflammable. This construction, essentially, addresses all the shortcomings typical of Li-ion batteries. However, mass production has not commenced yet. Here are the top 5 companies that are developing this technology. You might also like: Are Chargers at DC Fast Charging Stations Bad For EVs? Top Solid-State Battery Companies For EVs Volkswagen & Bill Gates – QuantumScape QuantumScape is an American company that makes solid-state batteries for EVs and is based in San Jose, California. It was established in 2010 and employs around 400 people. However, the most important aspect of this company is the fact that it is backed by Volkswagen and Bill Gates. Its main features include a 650 km range, 380-500 Wh/kg energy density (regular Li-ion batteries have somewhere around 250 Wh/kg) and a charge time of around 15 mins. BMW & Ford – Solid Power Solid Power is a solid-state battery manufacturer that is partners with BMW and Ford. It specializes in sulfide-based solid ion-conducting chemistry (replacing liquid electrolytes in regular Li-ion batteries) and also swapping the graphite anode with a Lithium metal anode. It is producing 2 Ah cells with 320 Wh/kg energy density. You might also like: Tesla Battery (4680) vs BYD Blade Battery – Comparison Toyota and Panasonic – Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc. The Japanese auto-giant in amidst developing its own solid-state batteries to power future EVs. It partnered with Panasonic to form Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc. It is planning to produce solid-state batteries in limited numbers by 2025. The batteries will have a range of 700 km and will have a charging time from 0-100% of 10-15 mins. Hyundai – Factorial Energy With extensive research and investment in solid-state batteries over the past 6 years, Factorial Energy is a Hyundai-backed company. At the 2023 Consumers Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Factorial showcased its 100 Ah prototype cells. These will offer 30% higher energy density than the traditional Li-ion batteries. With such giants of the automotive industry backing this technology, it sure looks like a matter of time before mass production of these solid-state batteries for EVs starts offering greater and safer alternatives to the existing Li-ion batteries. Apart from that, alternative battery technologies like Sodium-ion will also witness some more R&D. Within a brief span of a few years, consumers might have a wide choice while considering electric cars in terms of price, range and safety.