Solid-State Batteries – Game Changer for Electric Cars?

The electric revolution is just making the world a better place as it is bringing a major transition in the Automotive industry. Lithium-ion batteries coupled with electric motors have just garnered the interest of people towards it, but the production and extraction of lithium is releasing huge amounts of CO2. There is also a risk of thermal runaway which increases the temperature of batteries, especially in hot countries like India.

The production of new generation electric cars on Solid State Batteries also depends on various factors such as cost, performance and battery longevity. However, experts working on this new technology have revealed some exciting numbers which can eradicate the fear of range anxiety in the mind of EV buyers.

With continuous advancements in battery technology, all the issues can be solved, and Solid State Batteries (SSB) can really bring revolution in the field of EVs with some technical hurdles as well. Let’s discuss the working of these next-generation batteries in detail with some exciting statistics about the upcoming technology.

1. EVs with Solid State Batteries could have an impressive range of up to 1500 Km.
2. Lexus’s new FT-Se concept can launch with SSB’s.
3. Toyota and BYD hold a maximum number of SSB patents

How Do Solid State Batteries Function?

The understanding of any technology is dependent on how they function? Let’s understand SSB in an easy way! In Lithium-ion batteries, cars use a liquid electrolyte to transfer electrons from one side to the other, through electrolysis.

1. The issue with lithium-ion batteries is that the electrolysis is in liquid form, and this makes the batteries heavy and sensitive, leading to thermal runaway. Thus conventional batteries are restricted to a certain range and have less energy density than SSB.

Solid State Batteries:They are capable of providing three times of charge and deliver three times of excess range than traditional batteries. This is the reason they are super expensive and cost up to five times more than lithium-ion batteries.

1. Toyota has claimed that their new EVs with SSBs will have the capability to deliver more than 1500 Km on a single charge.
2. One of the big advantages of solid state batteries is better thermal management that will ensure that the batteries charge fully up to 100%, unlike traditional lithium batteries which don’t charge more than 80%, when charging via DC fast charging.

Issues and Cost

The future of solid state batteries is exciting with new upgrades but currently it is coming with several issues. In solid state batteries, there is a huge problem of cracks forming in the solid separator, and this is a big problem for battery makers.

1. Manufacturers are facing problems with the production of SSBs as to make new batteries, there are huge costs involved.
2. Lithium-ion batteries are also going through various advancements and technological improvements to increase its efficiency and reliability.

The implementation of Solid State batteries is still in the development phase and slowly countries like Japan, Korea and China are moving into the production phase. Although we can adapt SSBs faster by introducing them in hybrids first.

This could highlight and solve some of the problems, and once the technology is widespread, then we can increase the production and supply of batteries in EV cars. This is important because new innovations require heavy testing under different climatic conditions to ensure its longevity.

Potential Advantages of Solid State Batteries

SSBs are much flatter in general, which means they can be easily transported or packed. Now a question arises as to how much compact size it can have? Toyota has addressed the size can go down from exactly 150mm to 100mm and that's a great thing.

1. SSBs can help the engineers build low slung, more aerodynamically efficient cars which will have less weight.
2. With SSBs, a dream of electric sports cars will also be a reality as electric cars have four doors and that is because of the battery and design.

Which companies are investing in SSBs

So who is running behind SSBs to improve their EV lineup? We searched and it came as a great shock as it is a Toyota, as it holds the most number of patents on SSBs. Panasonic, Samsung and LG are showing interest in SSBs.

Chinese Auto Makers CATL and BYD have shown developments in this technology.

Solid state batteries will be a game changer in the future for the world of electric mobility. Their compact size, high performance and ability to fit into any design will revolutionize how EV cars are manufactured and produced. We will be sharing updates on this superior tech, which has the potential to disrupt the EV industry.