Toyota announced this week that it had signed a joint agreement with Japanese company Sumitomo Metal Mining to mass produce the cathode materials needed for solid-state batteries (SSB).
Unlike the current battery technology that powers most electric vehicles, which uses a liquid as an electrolyte, solid-state technology replaces this liquid with a solid material, offering the possibility of smaller size, higher performance, faster charging speeds and longer life. The potential of this technology is certainly exciting, but will Toyota really be the first?
“Solid-state batteries have been a clear goal for battery technology developers for decades, with many developers claiming that this approach represents the holy grail,” explains Brian Barnet, CTO of fast charging and battery technology company Nyobolt.
“It is clear that the last generation of efforts based on a small number of families of ceramic materials has come a long way. We are now seeing the first demonstrations of batteries apparently based on these materials,” he adds.
However, Toyota is not the only globally recognized company that claims it will have this revolutionary battery technology in production before the end of the decade. Here’s how the story of solid-state batteries could unfold, according to experts…
The claim: Toyota will be the first to sell electric vehicles with solid-state batteries
The car giant, which has been relatively slow to adopt all-electric propulsion and currently only offers the Bz4X and variants of its Proace van outside Japan, says it will be the first to market a solid-state battery electric vehicle, with plans to introduce production models in 2027 or 2028.
According to Toyota, it has been conducting joint research on cathode materials for solid-state batteries with Sumitomo Metal Mining Company since 2021, but the pair has since made breakthroughs in cathode materials thanks to Sumitomo Metal Mining’s proprietary powder synthesis technology.
This “highly durable” cathode material can be mass produced, although Toyota has said the two companies will continue to improve the performance, quality and safety of cathode materials, as well as look for ways to reduce the cost of production.
This, they say, will soon lead to the world’s first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in BEVs.
The reality: several car brands pursue the same claim
China has been at the forefront of electric vehicle technology for more than a decade and its two largest battery producers, CATL and BYD, are understandably working on solid-state solutions.
According to a recent report by China Central Television (via Electrek), several universities and research institutes in the country have made significant progress in recent months that they say will help unlock all-solid-state batteries that can travel more than 600 miles on a single charge.
Such researchers have reportedly found a number of solutions to the known electrolyte problems that are holding back the technology.
While a solid cathode is important, SSBs also depend on a solid electrolyte. As a result, Toyota has partnered with Japanese oil giant Idemitsu Kosan to refine a solid lithium sulfide electrolyte, which it hopes will help accelerate the introduction of its next-generation electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, Chinese company SAIC MG launched the first mass-produced vehicle with a semi-solid state battery in its latest MG 4 model.
While it does not offer the same solid electrolyte material, it uses an intermediate gel technology that provides some of the same benefits, but can be produced much cheaper and in greater quantities than current SSB alternatives.
Mercedes-Benz is also moving forward with its own technology, which has been tested in its EQS prototype model which has already racked up a staggering 750 miles on a single charge.
BMW’s i7-based solid-state prototype revealed one of the most impressive energy densities yet when it hit public roads earlier this year, at 390 Wh/kg, surpassing the 360 Wh/kg achieved by Nio’s current semi-solid-state technology.
Since many of the vehicles mentioned are still in development, it is very difficult to know who will be the first to mass produce an all-solid-state battery pack and make it a financially viable business case.
“The technology is progressing, but the bottleneck remains moving from pilot lines to even thousands of packs per year,” says Dr Kieran O’Regan, chief growth officer at About:Energy.
“Companies like Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape have shown promising prototypes, but the jump from lab-built cells to automotive-grade packages at millions of units per year is proving slower and more expensive than initially anticipated,” he adds.
So while Toyota may be the first to introduce a mass-produced electric vehicle with a solid-state battery in 2027, manufacturing challenges could still slow that process; He is certainly not the only one working on those deadlines.
Mercedes-Benz, BYD and CATL have also suggested marking 2027 on automotive calendars, while Honda, Volkswagen and the powerful Stellantis Group have gone on record saying they are not far behind.
Still, whether Toyota is first or not, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the next 2-3 years are shaping up to be an exciting and crucial period for this supposed “holy grail” battery technology, and for anyone frustrated by the range and charging speeds of current lithium-ion electric vehicles.
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