Featured Toyota makes progress on all-solid-state batteries

A lot can happen in 4 years. I would not be surprised if the schedule delay and/or other geopolitical events forces the project to be changed or even cancelled. GM has announced to kill the New Bolt (again) already. And it just began production. GM Will Kill the Chevrolet Bolt EV (Again) by 2028, Says Report

 

It may help to explain the "dendrite" problem that makes solid state batteries so hard:


During charging, layers of lithium (or other metals) are deposited into microscopic sized, crystal needles. These grow to penetrate the separator and short the cell. An NiMH battery uses hydrogen ions which can not form a crystal at ordinary temperatures. A point electric field becomes preferential for ion deposits. So this suggests several approaches:

• non-cyrstalizing metals - hydrogen or liquid metals at higher temperatures.
• strong separators - in theory, a separator can pass ions but not permit a needle pointed dendrite to pass through
• alloy electro-positive metals - if the deposit voltage is close enough, two metals will disrupt dendrite formation but there may be issues getting intro carbon holding them without excessive mechanical stress and strain

Solid state batteries are a technical nightmare and I wish anyone working on them “Good Luck!”

Bob Wilson

 

Solid state batteries will be like Li-ion when the Volt and Leaf first arrived, expensive. They'll be coming to market against much cheaper LFP and even Na-ion. They will only be used in high end, long range BEVs, and then there will be established semi-solid state batteries on the market.

Toyota is putting them in hybrids because of lower per car cost and ease of replacing with failures. They talked of using it hybrids first because the battery layers could crack.

Aside, @bisco reported this Bolt was always going to be a short production run. This one still doesn't use GM's BEV platform.

The moving of ICE models into that US plant is likely the actual news.

 

That seems to be a sensible approach and getting real world time in the saddle to iron-out kinks. A hybrid can limp back home, where a BEV would be F.O.R.D.. (found on road dead; as opposed to the brand of the same name sake).

 

Meanwhile: Daily Automotive News

TESLA MASS PRODUCES DRY ELECTRODES TO SLASH COSTS BY $1 BILLION

Elon Musk

Making the dry electrode process work at scale, which is a major breakthrough in lithium battery production technology, was incredibly difficult. Congratulations to the engineering, production and supply chain teams and our strategic partner suppliers for this excellent achievement!​

Tesla and its supplier partners have scored a major battery achievement, according to Elon Musk. He says they’ve been able to make the dry electrode process work at scale, calling it a major breakthrough in lithium battery production technology. Instead of applying the cathode material with liquid solvents, which requires massive drying ovens, it’s applied in a powder form. The process can slash factory space by up to 90%, increase output and significantly cut energy costs, which the company previously estimated could save it $1 billion. Tesla said some versions of the Cybertruck were supposed to get the batteries sometime last year, but now that it can mass produce them, they should spread to other models. And previous reports indicated that the Robotaxi and/or Cybercab would feature these batteries, which could be crucial in Tesla’s ability to hit its goal of making 2 million Cybercabs a year. ​

Elimination of the "wet" coatings is a major production improvement but my understanding is a small amount of electrolyte is still needed for the chemistry to work. Previous needs to evaporate and condense the electrolyte are no longer needed. Past technical presentations indicate 1/3d the floor space. Production yields remain an open question.

Bob Wilson

 

Buy tesla stock!