With the evolution of electric vehicles, a lot of debate has been started on its operational pros and cons along with its manufacturing hinges. Batteries being the powerhouse of electric vehicles, became the pivot of such debates. As of now, the normal practice involves the usage of lithium-ion cells for powering up electric vehicles. This whole infrastructure, spreading over hundreds to thousands of cells makes up for a complete battery pack for electric vehicles. As these batteries are rechargeable and the same ones that are being used in smartphones, so there are chances that this is what made manufacturers pick lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. However, as it takes much more power to energize an EV as compared to a smartphone, so the EV battery breakthrough has always been anticipated. Its efficiency, cost, and durability are what called for such anticipation. With the breaking out of solid-state battery news, efforts towards making EV batteries sustainable have ramped up. Though this news is indeed a blessing in disguise for both EV enthusiasts and manufacturers, but there is a need to thoroughly investigate the matter that are solid-state batteries sustainable? To know the answer, keep reading!

What is a Solid-State Battery?

From the manufacturing point of view, solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes and solid electrodes to power up the connected loads, which in this case is an electric vehicle. On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries use polymer gel or liquid electrolytes. This change of the matter, i.e. from liquid to solid, has the high potential to put forward the foundations of EV battery breakthrough. Let’s find out in more detail that how solid-state battery news can prove to lay down the foundations of EV batteries sustainable future.

How Solid-State Batteries can Revolutionize the EV Industry?

Electric vehicles have a substantial role in taking forward the green initiatives of e-mobility. While being solely energized by a battery source, there is no doubt in the expected contribution of solid-state batteries for the EV battery breakthrough. Following are some of the ways in which solid-state batteries are set to revolutionize the EV industry:

• Charging Time: Depending on the overall architecture and battery size of the EV, it almost takes about an hour to charge an EV battery at the Level-2 charging stations. However, with solid-state batteries taking over, there are estimates that charging time will go below 10 minutes.
• No Overheating: Since electrolyte will be a solid material, so it won’t get as hot as a liquid electrolyte, like in the case of Li-ion batteries. So, it is highly projected that solid-state batteries will be more heat resistant than lithium-ion batteries.
• Longer Driving Ranges: Typically, lithium-ion batteries deliver an energy density of around 700 watt-hours per liter (Wh/l). With such energy density, they can deliver a driving range of around 500 km per full charge. However, with the solid-state battery news rolling out, the solid-state battery energy density is expected to stand around 1000 Wh/l. Subsequently, this energy density of 1000 Wh/l will make EVs capable of driving up to 700 km without any need for recharging.
• More Safety: The typical EV batteries contain liquid electrolytes which pose a greater risk in case of electrolyte leakage or any other associated calamity. However, with the adoption of solid-state batteries, this risk will be mitigated as such batteries contain solid electrolytes. Unlike liquid electrolytes, such electrolytes do not cause any flammable calamity.
• Compact Size: Usually in the EV, the bottom portion of the vehicle contains battery cells, and to provide more range per charge, more battery cells are needed in the vehicle. Solid-state batteries are doing to be in compact size as compared to lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, more number of battery cells can be placed in the vehicle in lesser space, eventually increasing the range per charge.

In a nutshell, these relevancies for the EV industry itself answer the long posing question of are solid-state batteries sustainable? Indeed, the EV batteries sustainable future with solid-state batteries has been long-waited and it is now set to revolutionize the EV industry.

Latest Solid-State Battery News and Development

Since the realization of anticipations related to EV battery breakthrough via solid-state battery news, a lot of work is being done to forego any of the implications. Every R&D institute, university’s research centers, and companies research units have started ventures to work on EV batteries sustainable research projects on solid-state batteries and answer the primary question that are solid-state batteries sustainable?

Samsung Solid-State Battery

In all such pursuits, Samsung took the lead, as Samsung’s Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has announced that it has developed a solid-state battery which is all set to revolutionize the whole EV industry. According to them, their solid-state battery will cover the distance from Melbourne to Sydney, or vice versa, in one single charge. Not only does the battery’s energy density is improved, but its size has also been shrunk to half. With these developments, it clearly means that without any allocation of extra space to store the battery in EV, the range of EV can be doubled. For example, Tesla Model S currently delivers the range of about 700 km with Li-ion battery. However, if this battery pack is replaced with Samsung’s solid-state battery pack, then it’s range would experience a whopping shift to 1400 km. In addition to this, charging cycles have also been improved. This Samsung developed solid-state battery can be recharged for over one thousand times, which means that it can deliver one million kilometers in its total driving range. As of now, a prototype has been developed so as to assess the performance parameters of this battery. This is why its price has not been announced yet. However, given the compact size, longer life, and enhanced number of cycles, it is indeed going to reshape the future of e-mobility.

Toyota and Panasonic Partnership to build Solid-State Battery

Not only has Samsung contributed to this EV battery breakthrough, another big name in the automobile industry, Toyota, has also played its cards in making EV batteries sustainable. Toyota has partnered with Panasonic to build a solid-state battery prototype. Toyota was all set to showcase its working prototype on the occasion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but due to coronavirus, it has been rescheduled to 2021 and so is the revelation of their solid-state battery prototype. It seems as if there are some glitches in Toyota’s design and they took advantage of Olympics games rescheduling for improving their prototype. This insight is validated by the remarks of Executive Vice President of Toyota’s powertrain company where he said that though Toyota has a working prototype, they are still looking for ways to harness the true potential of solid-state batteries.

Conclusion

For years, EV battery breakthrough was a long pending thing. The efforts were not only centered on improving the battery infrastructure but EV batteries sustainable nature was also a very anticipated thing. Lithium-ion batteries are power-hungry, costly and take more space to be affixed in an EV. This bottleneck is what motivated researchers to come up with something that shall take forward the e-mobility and improves the efficiency of EVs. With the solid-state battery news, the rays of hope have been lit to a greater degree. Solid-state batteries have the right credentials to remove all the bottlenecks that were created by the lithium-ion batteries. From decreased space allocation to offering high energy density, solid-state batteries are set to embark on the future of electric vehicles. To the questions that are solid-state batteries sustainable? A simple YES! is a short yet comprehensive answer that is going to be validated very soon.

If you want to learn more about EV performance optimization, click here.

References

1. https://www.samsungsdi.com/column/all/detail/54344.html
2. https://www.ilika.com/latest-news/how-does-solid-state-battery-technology-power-electric-vehicles
3. https://www.energyville.be/en/press/expert-talk-solid-state-batteries-electric-cars-larger-autonomy
4. https://www.energyville.be/en/press/expert-talk-solid-state-batteries-electric-cars-larger-autonomy
5. https://www.whichcar.com.au/car-news/samsung-solid-state-battery-breakthrough
6. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33435923/toyota-solid-state-battery-2025/