Internal combustion engine (ICE) makers may be feeling distinctly uncomfortable. That’s because they can no longer rely on the cushion of comfort of electric vehicle range anxiety, after CATL announced close to 450 miles on a single 10-minute charge. Toyota’s solid state batteries also promise to deliver some 420 miles before they need recharging. Car Mag wonders whether this will be the ‘kiss of death’ for the ICE in commuter vehicles.
Could Toyota’s Solid State Batteries Really Do That?
Well Toyota does claim over 1,000 patents relating to solid state batteries, which makes it a pack leader. Moreover, its prototype batteries with solid state electrolyte are about the size and thickness of a thin spiral-back notebook. The company believes we are entering a new era of solid state batteries for transport.
However, here the two companies diverge. That’s because Toyota is using a sulfur-based electrolyte for more efficient power transfer, while CATL prefers lithium-ion-phosphate.
Toyota’s solid state batteries may be safer, since it promises ‘they lower the risk of fires’. While at the same time it claims significantly improved energy density too. The motor manufacturer could well be on to a good thing, because of the alarming uptick of lithium-ion battery fires in cities in North America and United Kingdom.
How Toyota Customers Benefit from the Innovation
From information to hand, Toyota’s solid state batteries should deliver the following benefits:
- More than 400-mile driving range on a single charge.
- This is twice the distance from conventional lithium-ion.
- 10 to 15 minutes recharging-time from zero to full.
- These benefits do not come at the cost of interior space.
Toyota plans to start producing a limited quantity of its new batteries by 2025, in partnership with Panasonic’s Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc. The auto maker says they will provide more information ‘when the time is right’.
More Information
Toyota and Panasonic Negotiating Battery Deal
Super-Fast-Charging CATL Battery Announced
Toyota Solid State Batteries Could Invigorate
