Solid Power begins pilot production on new solid-state battery cells for BMW and Ford that will provide longer range and shorter recharges for less cost. Photo courtesy of Solid Power.
June 6 (UPI) -- Battery start-up Solid Power has begun pilot production of a new solid-state battery cell for BMW and Ford Motor to give electric vehicle drivers shorter recharge times and longer range at less cost.
Solid Power has started building a small number of solid-state batteries to undergo internal testing. The Colorado-based company hopes to deliver the batteries to the two car manufacturers later this year for further testing and have the batteries in vehicles and on the market by 2024.
While other companies such as QuantumScape and Samsung SDI already have started developing solid-state battery cells in new factories, Solid Power said it can build its "new breed of battery" at less cost by reusing the tooling and production at existing lithium-ion battery plants.
Solid-state batteries are considered "next-generation products," which experts point out are safer and more powerful than conventional lithium-ion batteries. The batteries do not require the gel electrolyte, found in lithium-ion batteries currently on the market, which means a lower risk of fires.
Solid-state batteries also need shorter recharge times and offer more range.
"The mileage of EVs is still not so far. For EVs to become mainstream in the car industry, they need to have similar mileage as cars with internal combustion engines," Daelim University automotive professor Kim Pil-soo told UPI News Korea.
As solid-state batteries have higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries, they can substantially increase the EV mileage. But the related technology has been elusive to develop, which means many battery makers struggled to make advances in the field," he said.
Solid Power said BMW and Ford could start testing its solid-state battery cells in prototype vehicles by the end of this year, according to CEO Doug Campbell, who called it a key step in the "validation" process needed to supply batteries to automakers.
If all goes well, the automakers could sign off on Solid Power's battery design in early 2024, Campbell told CNBC.
Solid Power said it plans to hand off its final design to an existing battery manufacturer for mass production.
