Solid-state batteries

Will all-solid-state batteries be a “game-changer for EVs?” Nissan believes so. The automaker is accelerating all-solid-state EV battery development, hoping to make its electric models more competitive. Nissan kicked off construction on its all-solid-state EV battery pilot line this week with plans to introduce them in a wide range of models, including pickups.

NIO is celebrating a potentially impactful milestone today. With the help of partner WeLion, NIO has begun mass production of its 150 kWh semi-solid-state batteries. With production now underway in China, we expect to see the safer and more energy-dense cells powering NIO brand EVs as early as this quarter.

A solid-state battery developer in China has unveiled a new cell that could help change the game for electric mobility. Tailan New Energy’s vehicle-grade all-solid-state lithium batteries offer energy density twice that of other cells in the segment, empowering the Chinese battery maker to hail the cells as a record-setter in the industry.

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has shared its latest milestone, delivering prototype samples to OEMs en route to commercialization and EV implementation one day. By delivering the Alpha-2 cells, the company has already fulfilled one of its 2024 goals, and it’s only March.

Chinese EV automaker IM Motors is on the cusp of launching its fourth EV model and is touting some impressive specs to get the hype train going. The company’s co-CEO recently shared that the new L6 EV will be powered by a 900V platform equipped with solid-state batteries that can deliver over 1,000 km of range on a single charge.

Mullen Automotive announced it has begun road testing Class 1 electric vans equipped with solid-state polymer batteries alongside footage of the initial run. The energy-dense cells fit in the same pack design but offer a significantly higher range – even higher than Mullen anticipated.

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has provided further evidence that it’s the real deal in eventually achieving scaled cell production that could one day enable EV modules that are safer, charge faster, and go farther. In the YouTube video below, QuantumScape explains the design of its FlexFrame battery cell, which expands and contracts… similar to a beating heart.

Volkswagen has been trying to develop solid-state EV batteries with US startup QuantumScape for years, pouring millions into the startup, with the dream that VW Golf EVs would zip along with long ranges and charge in minutes, but that hasn’t happened – not yet anyway. Now Reuters reports that the automaker is in talks with France’s Blue Solutions.

One year after initial deliveries of solid-state battery prototypes to its automotive partners, QuantumScape is receiving additional praise from PowerCo – the battery-centric subsidiary of Volkswagen Group – for the potential of its technology. PowerCo recently completed an endurance test with QuantumScape’s solid-state cells and determined they can someday power EVs that can drive 500,000 kilometers with virtually no loss of range.

Days after Chinese automaker NIO showcased the massive range potential of its incoming 150 kWh solid-state batteries, their manufacturer, WeLion, shared some insight on when consumers can expect to see the technology roll out in mass quantities. This could herald a new era of EV mobility with safer cars that charge faster and drive farther.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden administration announced that a new round of federal funds to support the US battery manufacturing industry is becoming available. This $3.5 billion package is the second part of a large $6 billion-plus program that awarded funds to its first applicants last year.

Following the close of Q3 2023, solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has updated the public to its progress the last three months, which includes some encouraging results. In addition to catching a peep at mockups of its production-intent QSE-5 cell design, QuantumScape’s prototype has done better than expected with one automotive OEM in particular. Are solid-state EVs closer than we imagined? QuantumScape says maybe, but it still has some work to do.

Solid-state battery developer Factorial Energy announced it has begun operations at its new state-of-the-art facility in Massachusetts. The new facility serves as a key milestone as Factorial looks to scale its solid-state technology for EV implementations.

Less than six months after filing with the Chinese government to add solid-state batteries to three of its EV models, NIO has just filed to include the potentially game-changing technology to 11 more. With dozens of EVs powered by the lighter, safer, and more energy-dense cells, the automotive landscape overseas could soon look very different in that drivers can go further and charge faster.

Toyota Motor Company is the latest automaker delving into solid-state battery technology, vowing to mass-produce the safer and more energy dense cells in the next four years. In typical Toyota fashion, the Japanese automaker continues to smell its own farts, declaring that it and its new battery partner Idemitsu already “lead the world” in solid-state battery material development. Slow down there, guys…

Solid-state battery developer Factorial Energy has announced a major milestone in bringing its energy-dense cells to EVs one day. A-Samples of its 100+ Ah Factorial Electrolyte System Technology (FEST) solid-state battery cells are making their way to the company’s automotive partners around the globe – who those specific OEMs are though is up for dispute.

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape has recently shared its Q2 2023 report, offering several updates on its progress toward reaching commercialization – particularly in the EV segment. The company is reporting stellar milestones including a shipment of high cathode-loading cells to automotive partners as well as details of a potential customer chosen for an official launch of its first product.

Two and a half years after first sharing plans to implement a 150 kWh solid-state battery pack in its EVs, NIO appears poised to finally do just that. The automaker’s digital user manuals now feature specifications of the solid-state pack, supplied by WeLion – debuting on the upcoming ES6 SUV. The additional supports recent promises from NIO’s chief that customers in China will be able to select the energy-dense pack as early as this month.

Solid-state battery developer Factorial Energy has announced a new partnership with South Korean metal refining company, Young Poong, to research and implement lithium-metal recycling into its production practices. Through the investment, Factorial hopes to reuse excess metal materials to create a more circular economy.

Solid-state battery developer Factorial Energy has received globally recognized certification from the United Nations to begin safely shipping its technology to customers around the globe. In turn, the company’s solid-state batteries move one step closer to automotive qualification for full-scale integration into EVs.

According to a recent filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, NIO intends to sell three existing EV models with expanded battery capabilities provided by solid-state battery developer WeLion. The filing matches with previous statements from NIO’s founder that consumers could see solid-state powered EVs this summer.