The most coveted technology in electric vehicle batteries — solid-state batteries — may be coming sooner than expected. Mercedes-Benz has already put prototypes of electric vehicles on the road with such batteries that can cover more than 1,000 km on a single charge.
At the beginning of the year, the company reached a significant milestone: it began road testing the first car with a lithium-metal solid-state battery. The test runs have been taking place in the UK since February. A specially modified version of the EQS electric sedan with new batteries and other improvements was used for the tests. The battery itself was created in collaboration with Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains — the same company that supplies powertrains for Formula 1 cars.
To bring the technology to mass production, Mercedes is working with the American company Factorial Energy. In September last year, the partners presented a fully solid-state battery called Solstice. It promises to increase the range by 25% compared to current lithium-ion batteries.
According to Markus Schaefer, Director of Development at Mercedes, the first production electric vehicles with solid-state batteries could be available by 2030. Speaking in Copenhagen, he emphasized that «we expect to put this technology into mass production by the end of the decade».
In addition to increasing the range, Mercedes believes that the new batteries will significantly reduce the cost of electric vehicles. Mercedes and Factorial decided to use a solid sulfide-based electrolyte, which should be safer and more efficient.
The company claims that the new batteries can add up to 25% to the range. For example, for the Mercedes EQS 450+ model, which officially has a range of up to 822 km (WTLP cycle), this means the ability to drive more than 1000 km without recharging.
Factorial is also working with other major automakers, including Hyundai and Stellantis, to introduce solid-state batteries into production models by 2030. Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are also actively promoting their developments in this area. And market leaders such as BYD and CATL are already demonstrating technologies close to mass production, including solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries.
By the way, a representative of MG recently stated that MG4 will be the first global mass-market electric vehicle with a semi-solid-state battery. A car priced from $11 thousand to $16.5 thousand will be able to cover up to 537 km thanks to a new generation battery.
Source: electrek
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: