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Aug 16, 2023

10 Things You Should Know About Solid

Solid-state batteries could be the future of electric cars. These batteries offer significant advantages but also some disadvantages for EV owners. As the automotive world transitions from traditional

Solid-state batteries could be the future of electric cars. These batteries offer significant advantages but also some disadvantages for EV owners.

As the automotive world transitions from traditional gas-powered internal combustion engines to electric cars with battery-powered motors, the advancement of battery technology is a key factor in improving the driving experience. Early electric vehicles used smaller lithium-ion batteries located under the seats or in the trunk while providing low driving ranges. As driving ranges increased, the size of the batteries grew, and the location, first utilized by Tesla, moved to a vehicle’s floor.

Current lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars are extremely bulky and heavy. The next logical step in battery technology is solid-state batteries. These new EV batteries could provide more energy, be less sensitive to temperature changes, and reduce weight. Solid-state batteries should also lower the risk of a potential explosion. Although these new batteries offer several benefits, there are some disadvantages as well.

Using information from MotorTrend, JD Power, and Car and Driver, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things you should know about solid-state batteries and their future use in electric cars.

Related: 10 Things You Need To Know About Solid-State Batteries And EVs

Lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte to store electric energy. This material is extremely flammable and the reason EV collisions with damaged batteries burn to a crisp. A change to solid-state battery technology allows the batteries to utilize a solid electrolyte and replace the liquid in a lithium-ion battery.

Using ceramic electrolytes in sold-state batteries helps prevent dendrites from growing the same way they do in a liquid electrolyte battery. This ensures the battery won’t short out internally. Automakers can also incorporate solid-state batteries into a vehicle’s structure, which makes them much safer than lithium-ion alternatives.

Energy density describes how much actual electricity a battery can put out for a given weight or volume. Current EV batteries are extremely heavy, weighing much more than internal combustion engines in most cases. A change to new battery technology should come with a lower weight, but that also means these batteries must be more energy dense than current models.

Some reports suggest these new solid-state batteries could be three times more energy-dense than current lithium-ion cells. This means automakers could have the option between weight savings or adding driving range to electric cars. A lithium-ion battery that weighs 1,000 pounds could offer the same energy as a solid-state battery that weighs only 333 pounds.

Related: Here’s Why Electric Cars Make Top Speed Metrics Irrelevant

Lithium is a Rare Earth metal, and prices of lithium have tripled recently even though global production of lithium has also tripled. You might think replacing lithium-ion batteries with solid-state models would change the chemistry, and it does, but not the way you want. Solid-state batteries could use more lithium than current EV batteries, which could lead to a shortage of materials.

How much more lithium will new EV batteries use? Some experts estimate the among required could be five to ten times the amount of lithium required to build these new batteries. This will put pressure on recycling efforts and learning how to reuse all battery materials.

Current electric cars are capable of charging to 80-percent of their full capacity at DC fast-charging locations. This limit is set to protect the batteries, which could be damaged from the extreme flow of electrons. Unfortunately, this reduces the actual driving range while on a road trip. EVs that list a driving range of 300 miles are reduced to 240 miles per charge when using these charging stations.

The solid electrolyte of these new batteries allows charging to full capacity at public fast-charging stations. The reduced charging times using these batteries in electric cars could finally challenge the short time it takes to refill a gas tank with fuel. Solid-state batteries could reduce charging times to 10 or 15 mines versus the current time it takes to recharge lithium-ion batteries.

Related: Fastest Charging Electric Vehicles In 2023

Electric cars use complicated technology and batteries. The newness of this technology means working toward methods of recycling or reusing EV batteries. Some automakers have discovered ways to utilize the remaining energy in batteries once they’re no longer useful in cars, while others are working toward recycling the materials in current lithium-ion battery packs.

Currently, many of the materials in lithium-ion batteries can be recycled. These metals include nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and copper. The challenge is recycling graphite and lithium.

Driving electric cars under normal conditions is perfectly safe. If they weren’t, there wouldn’t be the increased push to have more EVs on the road. When the battery gets too hot or is damaged, a chain reaction could create a fire that engulfs the entire vehicle. The increased heat can be caused by improper charging, and damage can occur in an accident.

Without liquid electrolytes, charging and collision damage can be minimized, greatly reducing the risk of an EV catching fire. There is still some risk; if a solid-state battery becomes damaged, it could catch fire, but the smaller size and build allows automakers to protect them better than current lithium-ion batteries.

Related: 10 Companies Deeply Invested In Electric Vehicle Battery Technology

If solid-state batteries become the norm for electric cars, some warnings will be required. It's been discovered that as batteries age and are repeatedly charged at high-power, fast-charging stations, the shape of the lithium electric begins to change. They grow in strange organic ways with branching structures called dendrites.

The challenge with dendrites is they can grow long enough to reach through to the other side of the electrolyte, which would short out the battery pack. This could reduce the battery life of solid-state batteries. Automakers may need to warn against the consistent use of fast-charging stations. Honda seems to have come up with a solution for this problem, but we'll have to see if and when it'll be implemented in mainsteam EVs.

Building lithium-ion batteries takes a long time. Once the cell is built, the filling and conditioning phase begins. This phase requires the liquid electrolyte to be applied and gently charged, and discharged, which allows the electrodes to form the protective coating. This is a lengthy process that could slow the supply chain of batteries into electric vehicles.

Many automakers function on just-in-time supply logistics, which means a specified number of parts is available at the right time to avoid storing mass quantities of parts. The construction time difference between solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries is nearly three weeks. Imagine the reduced assembly time with batteries made three weeks faster than before.

Related: 10 Electric Vehicles To Avoid With Poor MPGe

Many automakers invested billions of dollars into lithium-ion battery factories located in proximity to EV assembly plants. Switching to solid-state batteries would reset these costs and require new factories to build these new batteries. This added investment will likely cause early solid-state equipped EVs to be more expensive than those with lithium-ion batteries.

The first five to ten years of solid-state battery usage might cause increases in EV prices, but once these batteries are the industry norm, prices could reduce and become more affordable for drivers. Unfortunately, current electric cars are more expensive than gas-powered vehicles; another increase could push some EVs out of contention for many consumers.

Although Toyota has been slow to transition to electric vehicles, the company has been researching solid-state batteries and claims it has made a breakthrough. This Japanese company claims to have simplified the production process and could make a huge leap forward in delivering solid-state batteries to the market.

If Toyota sets the standard with its claims, solid-state batteries will be more affordable, lighter, and more energy dense than lithium-ion batteries. Toyota could be at a great advantage compared to Tesla, GM, or Ford because its investment in battery technology is less than other companies.

Nathaniel has nine years of experience as an autos writer under his belt. From model reviews to industry politics to new innovations and development, he covers a wide range of topics. Through careful research, attention to detail, and a desire to tell a story, Nathaniel found an unexpected enthusiasm for covering anything related to cars, trucks, SUVs, and everything in between.