Electric vehicles are widely regarded as the future trend, but they still have some problems that deter many car buyers, such as charging, battery weight, safety, mileage, etc. However, some companies say they already have the technology to solve some or even all of these problems.
Especially Toyota, which previously stated that their "breakthrough" in battery research and development will halve the size and cost of solid-state batteries, and the charging time will not exceed 10 minutes, allowing electric vehicles to reach a range of 1200 kilometers. The only problem is that Toyota's goal is to see commercial solid-state battery electric vehicles on the market as early as 2027, and the initial production capacity will not be very high.
Previously, automotive companies including Stellantis, Hyundai, and Volkswagen have also collaborated with companies engaged in solid-state battery research. These companies believe that solid-state battery technology has the potential to make batteries smaller, lighter, safer, and provide more electricity, potentially reshaping the industry landscape.
But solid-state battery technology also has its own challenges, which is not the only way for car manufacturers to achieve lighter, cheaper, and faster charging electric vehicles.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main difference between solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles is a component called an electrolyte. In lithium-ion batteries, electrolytes are a viscous liquid. In solid-state batteries, the electrolyte is a solid. Solid electrolyte is one of the reasons why solid-state batteries are safer than lithium-ion batteries. If a liquid electrolyte battery ruptures or is punctured, liquid will seep from both sides of the electrolyte, which may cause uncontrolled energy flow and subsequently lead to a fire.
The main challenge faced by all these companies and the automakers investing in them is how to economically produce these high-tech batteries to produce the quantity of batteries required for affordable electric vehicles. At the same time, it is necessary to compete with more mature battery technology in manufacturing.
William Kephart, a battery researcher at the consulting company P3 Group, stated that solid-state batteries are currently a very open field, and many startups are currently researching different chemical combinations, even with slightly different physical structures of their batteries. Fast charging is a key demand for consumers and one of the main challenges faced by solid-state batteries.
Solid state battery company Quantumscape claims that their solid-state batteries have been tested and charge much faster than typical lithium-ion batteries.
Solid state batteries will be more expensive because they contain more lithium. Kephart added that as more resources are discovered and utilized, the price of lithium will decrease, but compared to other batteries, the cost of solid-state batteries is often higher.
A company called Factorial claims that its solid-state battery technology uses less lithium than traditional batteries, which may lower costs, especially as production increases. The company's investors include Stellantis and Mercedes.
Quantumscape states that its battery design eliminates graphite, reduces costs, and the company also claims to greatly reduce carbon emissions during the manufacturing process.
Other options
However, at the same time, other battery companies are also striving to improve traditional liquid electrolyte batteries, which may make existing technologies better. By simply adding silicone resin to alter a portion of the battery, performance can be greatly improved at a relatively low cost. This is a suggestion from a company called "OneD Battery Sciences" invested by General Motors.
According to the company, its technology allows the production process to remain roughly unchanged while potentially significantly improving battery performance. This means that the troubles and costs for battery manufacturers and car manufacturers will be reduced.
Other companies are also researching semi solid state batteries, which combine the various advantages of two types of batteries and provide some of the advantages of solid state batteries without completely abandoning standard electrolyte based designs.
General Motors spokesperson Phil Lienert believes that ultimately, there may never be a battery technology applicable to all electric vehicles, and the type of battery will match the vehicle and specific sales market. When you have a large and diverse customer portfolio like ours, you need to have multiple solutions that can coexist in the same basic engineering