Reports say Toyota is going to unveil an EV prototype in 2021 with solid-state battery, which will provide 300 miles of range per single change, charge in 10 minutes and maintain 80% of its charge capacity after 240,000 miles.
Just like Toyota, QuantumScape, a Volkswagen partner, also has announced a Solid-State battery. Compared to the lithium-ion liquid electrolyte batteries that we know, the principle developed by QuantumScape is a solid-state type semiconductor battery that is intended to be more durable and more efficient over time.
If Toyota's plans to produce a running prototype in 2021 come to fruition, then we could very well be looking at the dominant automotive technology of the future within the next year.
If this is true, Toyota is going to completely re-debut the electric car as a far more viable and efficient vehicle for our modern time. I have been watching the development of solid state battery technology for quite some time now and to see this come to fruition from Toyota is a surprise. The question is what else are they holding out on that they have bot told anyone yet, says Peter Neilson a Torque News Toyota reporter.
Generally this is good news. All EV manufacturers need to review their own technology and be sure to be abreast about latest and sustainability. It is also therefore important to find out alternatives to lithium. Good news that some auto makers are really pushing the boundaries of battery tech. Those countries who's economies depend on oil production for their financial lifeblood - should wake up and smell the roses. Nice to see the grip of OPEC fading. And - most importantly, a win for the environment and the health of all of us.
Toyota makes great cars. So if they can do this. It will be a revolution in battery design. And Japanese companies have always made great electronics.
Dean Mcmanis, who regularly contributes EV stories at Torque News writes, "Toyota, Quantumscape (VW), LG Chem (GM) and Samsung have all announced solid state batteries coming out soon. But as Tesla found out with their new 4680 dry-electrode battery design, ramping up from prototype batteries to mass production is a HUGE effort. I would be very surprised to see any of the automakers actually delivering EVs that use these newest tech, solid state batteries in 2021, and many might take until 2022-23 until they are actually commercially available, or in consumer vehicles. And I do expect that several of the new designs never make it out of the lab and into production EVs. One other big point is that even though Tesla's battery day didn't mention their rumored "million mile" batteries, I suspect that the upcoming 4680 batteries will have that 4,000-6,000 charge cycle capability, to last for 10-20 years. And solid state batteries' strength of not forming dendrites (which short out and kill batteries) is also a strength of Tesla's 4680 batteries, so solid state batteries may not be the holt grail that researchers and the press have foretold. For me, ALL EV innovations are a big win for consumers, so I hope that all of Toyota's dreams, claims and plans for these new batteries are realized. But until they are actually shipping in tomorrow's EVs, I will simply remain hopeful."
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.
