All News About Toyota QuantumScape Solid-State Batteries Is Academic

A few days ago when QuantumScape said they believe they are the only player to have shown a solid-state lithium building-block capable of meeting electric vehicles' key requirements, the EV community at Torque News responded with variety of opinions bringing Toyota and Tesla into the equation.

Here are some of the most interesting comments and opinions about QuantumScape, Toyota and Tesla solid-state battery efforts. For the background, in December 2020 we learned that Toyota's new game-changing EV battery and a prototype are coming in 2021.

Aeron Gerich Co
I believe Toyota is ahead of the game. But I’m waiting on when solid-state batteries will be mass produced so I can test one myself.

Dean McManis, who regularly guest posts Tesla stories at TorqueNews.com, writes “This is a QuantumScape investor report. So they are obviously going to say that nobody else is close to their technology. Toyota is only showing a prototype solid state battery this year, so they don't need to prove that it's scalable, cost effective, or even realistic to use in mass production vehicles. All of the news about solid state batteries is academic until someone actually starts mass production in vehicles. Only then can we realistically compare the actual price/performance capabilities to conventional batteries.”

Now, if QuantumScape is “actually answering those questions that it's scalable, cost effective, or even realistic for mass production. Then wouldn't that make them ahead by default?” “Only theoretically,” replies Dean. He writes, “When they actually build them, scale production, and the capabilities and costs are as anticipated, then we can revisit the comparison against other batteries.”

Tero Piispala
I agree that QuantumScape has a lead in solid state batteries. There is no indication that Toyota could have made breakthrough in solid-state battery. I have written about this in many other comments. Toyota's battery is presented for marketing reasons and the promises they make give hint on the impracticality of the design they publish. Timeline to get anything in high volume will probably close to end of this decade. QuantumScape battery is also far from finished but they can actually have something in next five years

Jeff Gilleran1
Until I see a functioning "pack" I will reserve judgement and wait for results. The proof is a completed pack that works. Until then its just talk.

Denis Tantas
Toyota doesn’t do any public statement about anything before it has it on sale. They don’t beg for attention. The statements are from Nikkei. But when Toyota unveils it, I will just tell you: “I told you so.”

Denis Tantas says, “I am looking forward to shift to electric vehicles and I will shift only when there is a solid state battery one on the market. So, I believe the first one to come, will accelerate others in the process too. That keeps me motivated to hope.”

To this comment, Dean McManis replied writing, “The question is by the time that solid state batteries do make it into mass production, how will they compare to other battery technologies, which have also evolved in the meantime? Competition breeds innovation, so we as consumers benefit either way. By all means, keep rooting for your favorite technology to leap ahead! I will celebrate right there with you if/when it happens!”

Where does Tesla come in the equation of solid-state battery?

Myron P
I am sure Tesla has looked at their technology and passed on it for a reason Tesla could easily bought them out or license the technology. Toyota is taking an uphill road to develop and might be years away before they can put such batteries in vehicles.

In fact, Torque News' Toyota reporter Peter Neilson thinks Toyota will crash Toyota's solid-state battery will crash Tesla. However, I think that an EV battery is an issue for Toyota, but not for Tesla (at least for now).

Ron Sexton
The big question, to me, is what about Tesla after they bought Maxwell? What do they have to say about solid state batteries?

To this question Dean McManis replies and writes, “You will note that Tesla was silent about its "million mile" batteries at its Battery Day last year. I think that is because they don't need to talk about super long battery life when their 4680 batteries are already ahead of competitors batteries, and Tesla is beginning to scale up to mass production this year in their upcoming battery factories in Giga Nevada, Giga Texas, and Giga Berlin. Solid state batteries, like graphene batteries, show off very cool technologies. But until they can scale up to mass production at a competitive price, they are not important to mention as real competition.”

Ron replied and said, Dean, “Some of Tesla's current batteries are already million mile batteries. More than most will ever use. And the newer ones are even better. So yes, it's kind of a non issue. Range matters more to people, or at least to me.”

To this, Dean replied and wrote, “Faster charging, longer battery life, and better energy density are proposed to be better with solid state batteries, but we can't really compare Tesla's 4680 batteries (with Maxwell technology's tech) against solid state batteries' capabilities, until the solid state batteries get out of the lab and into mass production (if possible). And that may take several years to achieve.”

The interesting this is that apparently Mercedes-Benz already has electric buses that run on solid-state batteries. I am hoping that in the near future I will have a coverage on the subject at Torque News Youtube channel. Please subscribe and follow me for daily EV news.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.