Toyota announced this week that it has signed a joint agreement with Japanese company Sumitomo Metal Mining to mass produce cathode materials needed for all-solid-state batteries (SSB).
Unlike current battery technology used in most electric vehicles, which uses a liquid as the electrolyte, solid-state technology replaces that liquid with a solid material, offering the potential for smaller size, higher performance, faster charging speeds and longer lifespan. Technology The potential is definitely excitingbut will Toyota really be first?
“Solid-state batteries have been a clear target for battery technology developers for decades, with many developers declaring that this approach represents the Holy Grail,” explains Brian Barnett, CTO of fast charging and battery technology company Nyobolt.
“It is clear that recent generation efforts based on a small number of families of ceramic materials have made great progress. 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 says it will launch this revolutionary battery technology before the end of the decade. Here's how the solid-state battery story could play out, according to experts…
Claim: Toyota will be the first to sell electric vehicles with solid-state batteries
The car giant, which has been relatively slow to move to an all-electric powertrain and currently only offers the Bz4X and variants of its Proace van outside Japan, says it will be first to market with a solid-state battery electric vehicle and plans to introduce production models in 2027 or 2028.
According to ToyotaSince 2021, the company has been conducting joint research on cathode materials for all-solid-state batteries with Sumitomo Metal Mining, but since then they have achieved breakthroughs in the field of cathode materials through Sumitomo Metal Mining's patented powder synthesis technology.
This “high-strength” cathode material can be mass produced, although Toyota said both companies will continue to improve the performance, quality and safety of cathode materials, and look for ways to reduce production costs.
This, they say, will soon lead to the world's first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in electric vehicles.
Reality: Several car brands are pursuing the same claim
China has been at the forefront of electric vehicle technology for more than a decade, and the two largest battery manufacturers, CATL and BYD, are understandably working on solid-state solutions.
According to a recent report by China Central Television (via Electrek), various universities and research institutes across the country have made significant progress in recent months that they say will help unlock all-solid-state batteries capable of driving more than 600 miles on a single charge.
The researchers in question have reportedly found a number of solutions to known electrolyte problems that have been holding back technology development.
Although a solid cathode is important, SSBs also rely on a solid electrolyte. As a result, Toyota has partnered with Japanese oil giant Idemitsu Kosan to develop a lithium sulfide solid electrolyte that it hopes will help accelerate adoption of the next generation of electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Chinese company SAIC MG launched the first production car with a semi-solid-state battery. in its latest MG 4 model.
While it does not offer the same solid electrolyte material, it uses semi-fabricated 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 proven on a prototype EQS model that has already covered a staggering 750 miles on a single charge.
BMW SSD i7 based prototype demonstrated one of the most impressive energy densities when it hit public roads earlier this year: 390 Wh/kg, beating 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 predict who will be the first to truly mass produce all-solid-state battery packs and make them a financially viable business case.
“The technology is advancing, but scaling up from pilot lines to thousands of packages per year remains a bottleneck,” says Dr Kieran O'Regan, director of development at About:Energy.
“Companies like Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape have shown promising prototypes, but the transition from lab-created cells to automotive-grade batteries produced in the millions of units per year is proving slower and more expensive than originally predicted,” he adds.
So while it's likely that Toyota could be the first to introduce a production electric vehicle with a solid-state battery in 2027, production issues could still slow down the process—it's certainly not the only one working to such a deadline.
Mercedes-Benz, BYD and CATL have also proposed 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's plenty of evidence that the next 2-3 years will be an exciting, pivotal period for this supposed “Holy Grail” battery technology – and for anyone disappointed by the range and charging speed of modern lithium-ion electric vehicles.
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