ION ships first commercial solid-state battery cell samples

Maryland-based ION Storage Systems shipped its first commercial generation of solid-state batteries, called Cornerstone, to “leading” consumer electronics companies.

These samples of multilayer cells are designed to be used in smartphones, laptops, wearables, and other small but high-performance devices, and they promise to deliver what battery makers have been chasing for decades: long cycle life, no swell, and better safety without bulky compression hardware.

ION says Cornerstone marks a big leap from lab prototypes to real-world products. “Cornerstone powers the most expansive solid-state sampling programs in the industry,” said CEO Jorge Diaz Schneider. The samples are also being tested by EV, aerospace, and defense customers. “Our platform is uniquely positioned for broad, multi-industry adoption.”

What makes this battery different? According to CCO Eric Lind, ION is “the only solid-state battery company currently delivering fully functional cells that don’t require compression for integration and testing” in real-world devices. Customers are now running these cells through qualification testing – a key step before they hit the market in portable gadgets with better energy density, thermal stability, and cycle life.

This milestone follows significant technical gains earlier this year, when ION boosted cell capacity by 25 times while hitting more than 1,000 charge cycles in a commercially relevant format – again, without compression or volume change.

Read more: This anodeless, compressionless solid-state battery could be the next big thing

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