China Daily published a news update on January 22, 2024, concerning the solid state EV battery race. And a race it is indeed, because the prize will be rich, and the industry urgently needs better batteries soon. The news post is rich in detail, but we can only provide a brief overview of evolving vehicle and battery maker partnerships here.
Impressive Line Up for Solid State EV Battery Race
China Daily says French battery maker Blue Solutions is in talks with Volkswagen. The topic is bound to be the Blue Solutions lithium-ion batteries already provided for Daimler’s electric buses. Although in this case these will undergo modifications, to allow a charging time of twenty minutes. Several other companies, including BMW are also reportedly sniffing around.
Meanwhile Toyota, and Japan’s second largest oil producer Idemitsu Kosan have joined forces. They aim to develop all-solid-state batteries by 2028, and then mass produce them. Head of Toyota India predicts “charging in 10 minutes, a range of 1,000 kilometers, and very good life expectancy”.
Several other EV makers, including GAC Group’s Aion, and China’s state-owned Changan, predict using similar batteries by the second half of the decade. CATL, LG Energy Solutions, Solid Power, and ProLogium are also very much in the solid state EV battery race.
But When Will These, and Others Get to Market?
Several batteries under development hold promise of extended driving range, faster charging time, and longer life. However, these may take a while to upscale to commercial level, and meanwhile the need is increasingly urgent.
We can think of at least a few solid state battery promises that have been made, and then broken. Some reliable sources predict electric vehicle drivers will have to wait until the end of the decade to experience real benefits. We shall have to wait, hope, and see what happens.
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