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Tech Bytes: Toyota bets on solid state batteries in next stage of electric vehicle innovation

Published 04/11/2024, 03:35 pm
Updated 04/11/2024, 04:00 pm
© Reuters.  Tech Bytes: Toyota bets on solid state batteries in next stage of electric vehicle innovation

Almost 14 million electric vehicles (EVs) were registered in 2023, with the vast majority being sold in China, Europe and the US.

That’s a 35% year-on-year increase from 2022, accounting for 18% of all cars sold, up from 14% in 2022 and 2% in 2018.

While most major car manufacturers have swiftly got on board with the lithium-ion battery wave of EVs, Toyota has been a notable absence on the electric vehicle bandwagon, restricting its sales to plug-in hybrids and similar technology – until now.

Solid-state sulphur batteries

Back in 2010 Toyota first announced its solid-state battery (SSB) ambitions.

At that point, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) had already released its Roadster model, going all-in on lithium-ion battery technology and setting the stage for EV manufacturing.

While lithium-ion EVs have made great strides in technical and safety advancements, they’re still held back by charging speed limitations, range and weight limitations, and the inherent fire hazard of a volatile material like lithium.

Solid-state batteries like Toyota’s sulphur offering promise to put those issues to bed.

Toyota claims its new EV design has at least 745 miles or almost 1,200 kilometres of range and can charge to full in just 10 minutes.

The non-aqueous design of the batteries also makes them lighter, smaller and safer, with much-reduced fire and chemical risks due to their more stable materials.

It would be logical to wonder why they haven’t replaced lithium-ion batteries already if they have so many advantages – unfortunately, they’re expensive and technically complex to manufacture, and their charge and recharge life cycle is much shorter than a lithium-ion battery, degrading over time.

Solid-state cars on road by 2027?

Toyota is working with several technology partners, including Chinese EV manufacturer BYD, Idemitsu and Panasonic, to solve SSB technology’s lingering weaknesses.

The traditionally conservative car manufacturer is adopting several new innovations from its Chinese and Japanese partners, including giga casting and autonomous assembly lines.

The company is now moving toward large-scale production, gearing up for on-market sales by the end of the 2020s.

“Idemitsu Kosan and Toyota Motor Corporation have agreed to collaborate on the mass production of solid-state batteries,” Toyota Motor Corporation president and CEO Koji Sato said in a media briefing in late 2023.

“First, between 2027 and 2028, we will start to produce solid-state batteries for use in battery electric vehicles. We will then lay the foundation for mass production…

“And, looking ahead to the future of battery technology, we are developing solid-state batteries as an option beyond liquid batteries.

“As solid-state batteries are smaller and more powerful, they will enable battery EVs to meet a diverse range of needs, from sports cars, which require high-power performance, to commercial vehicles, which require frequent quick recharging.”

Sato said technology partner Idemitsu had solved the issues of durability over multiple charge cycles.

“Through repeated trial and error and by combining the material technologies of both companies, we have been able to develop a crack-resistant material that demonstrates high performance,” Sato said.

“By combining this new solid electrolyte with the Toyota Group's cathode and anode materials and battery technologies, we are now on the path toward achieving both performance and durability in solid-state batteries.

“The key theme for us going forward is mass production.”

Toyota is targeting 2027 for the roll-out of its solid-state batteries, with mass production of vehicles to follow soon after.

Read more on Proactive Investors AU

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