Solid-state batteries – 1200 km and 10 minutes of charging: when will mass production begin?

Just recently, in 2014-2018, the world saw a real boom in the organization of production of solid-state batteries (SSB). Moreover, for both household appliances, gadgets, and electric cars.


For example, in 2016, the head of Fisker Inc (which filed for bankruptcy this year) promised: electromobiles with its TTA they will be able to travel 500 miles without recharging, after six months the figure dropped to 400, and then 300 miles. In 2017, Dyson CEO J. Dyson assured that his company had been working on solid-state batteries for more than two years. However, when asked whether his electric cars would be equipped with TTA, the release of which is planned for 2021, he did not answer then. In the fall of 2019, the project was curtailed.


But the Chinese have gone further than anyone else: in 2018, one of the heads of the Qing Tao Energy Development Co startup announced publicly that a production line for the production of TTA had been deployed in Kunshan. $144 million was invested in the project. The capacity of the line should reach 2020 MWh per year by 700. This means that the batteries produced will be enough for about 14 thousand electric vehicles. But so far, nothing has been heard about the results.


Representatives of VW, BMW, and Toyota were more cautious in their statements at the time. The former spoke about mass production of TTA no earlier than 2025. Investments amounted to $100 million. The Bavarian automaker signed an agreement with the Solid Power startup (USA). Hyundai reported that it was developing a project to organize TTA production, but no timeframe was given.


Since then, the passions have somewhat subsided, and the pandemic has “done its job.” But interest in the production of energy-intensive batteries has not faded. We will talk about this later, but first it is worth figuring out what kind of “beast” this solid-state battery is. Non-liquid electrolyte was known back in the 19th century. However, strong interest in it was renewed only at the turn of the current and last centuries.

Solid state batteries in common words

A special technology called Solid-State Battery is used for their production. Translated from English - "solid body battery". The main difference between TTA and its predecessors is the use of an electrolyte, which is a composite (polymer) material. Most often, these are sulfides, inorganic oxides or ceramics. Each developer has its own formula, which it keeps secret.


Lithium-ion batteries use liquid, gels or impregnations. But the operating principle of solid-state batteries is the same: during charging, ions move to the anode (can be made of lithium) from the cathode (air, metal or sulfur plays its role), and vice versa when the capacity is consumed. The movement of particles is carried out through the electrolyte. Let's evaluate the pros and cons of solid-state batteries.

Better energy density and quick replenishment

Compared to lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries are capable of storing more capacity per unit of volume (weight). Simply put, a solid-state battery of the same weight and dimensions will provide an electric car with a long range (the increase in mileage will be 20-30%). And if we take the distance traveled by a car on a lithium-ion battery, then the same distance is guaranteed by a solid-state battery with much smaller dimensions and weight.


Solid-state batteries charge faster than their lithium-ion "colleagues". It's all about better conductivity of electric current, which is associated, according to Ohm's law, with lower internal resistance. It makes sense to dwell on modern achievements in terms of battery charging speed in more detail.

Who is closest to mass production of TTA?

Last fall, Toyota announced that the company, in cooperation with Idemitsu (a Japanese oil concern), had made a technological “breakthrough” and was ready to begin mass production of the TTA in 2027. Thanks to the new battery, the range of electric vehicles will reach 1200 km, and the charging time will be reduced to 10 minutes. The Japanese automaker has been developing solid-state batteries since 2006.


Already this fall, a representative of the Taiwanese company ProLogium Technology announced the creation of the world's first battery with a composite silicon anode. The battery replenishes its capacity by 60% in 5 minutes. This is enough for an electric car to travel about 300 km.


The solid-state battery was demonstrated in October this year in Paris at the annual motor show. At the exhibition, a representative of ProLogium Technology said that “from 2023 we will surpass the competition” in terms of increasing the energy density of the battery and its charging speed.


However, nothing has been reported about the start of mass production or the price of the new product. Nissan Motor can also be noted, promising to start large-scale production of its own solid-state batteries in 2028. And in China, the CASIP plan has been introduced at the state level, which provides for the introduction of TTA into conveyor production by 2030.

Low cost and safety

The first advantage is associated with less use of expensive components, such as cobalt. A solid-state battery has very few components: separators and some other elements are absent. Lithium-ion batteries are larger in size and weight. TTAs do not require cooling, have a longer service life and are less susceptible to wear during constant charging and discharging.


Such batteries pose less danger to the environment than lithium-ion ones. The latter contain fluoride compounds that can be released if the battery is damaged or even overloaded. TTAs also have a very low self-discharge rate, they do not explode or self-ignite: the electrolyte cannot spill out of them. This is where the advantages of innovative batteries end, but what about the disadvantages?

Disadvantages of TTA

The first problem is the complexity of manufacturing: the products require the use of precise technologies. It is necessary to use a solid electrolyte with a homogeneous structure that provides the required density. The slightest impurities sharply reduce the reliability and efficiency of the products.

The next disadvantage, which is currently being actively addressed, is high sensitivity to oxygen, moisture and low temperatures. In cold climates, problems will arise with TTA: the capacity will drop. Batteries will have to be heated or products with a different solid electrolyte will have to be developed. There is another disadvantage - the lack of global standards. This may become an obstacle to the compatibility of different types of TTA with specific models of electric cars.


Cooperation of TTA manufacturers with government agencies, automobile companies and other interested parties is necessary. However, it is worth saying: today all the advantages and disadvantages of solid-state batteries have not yet been studied, since there is no long-term experience of their use.

Conclusions and generalizations

Leading automakers producing serial electric cars have no doubt that TTA is the future. This is indirectly evidenced by serious investments in TTA projects. As we wrote above, Toyota is closest to implementing mass production with its plans for 2025-27.


The same timeframes are indicated by VW, which invested in the American QuantumScape, which develops ceramic batteries. Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Stellantis gave preference to Factorial Energy (USA), a company creating a solid-state battery based on polymers. It can be concluded that many leading global automakers are confident that electric cars equipped with serial TTAs will appear on the market before 2030.