November 11, 2024: Research by CATL, the largest lithium cell manufacturer in the world, into solid-state batteries is looking set to bear fruit. According to Chinese media source LatePost, CATL has entered into trial production of 20Ah samples.
Such sampling means that the next step for the battery giant is converting laboratory scale manufacturing to a pilot stage and then on to full assembly lines. This process often takes several years to achieve.
And CATL are not alone in the race to make solid state battery pipe dreams a reality. Taipei-based intelligence provider, TrendForce, reported this week that Toyota, Nissan and Samsung are also forging ahead to begin pilot production of SSBs and that volumes could have GWh levels by 2027 as companies compete to scale up production.
The findings reveal that the push to commercialize solid state batteries is well underway with industries from automotive to storage betting on the technology. The rapid expansion will almost certainly lead to cell price declines as the batteries move from prototype sample cells to engineering-scale production.
Solid-state batteries hold the promise of improved safety, a longer lifespan and faster charging compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes.
TrendForce predicts that, by 2030, if the scale of all-solid-state battery applications surpasses 10 GWh, cell prices will likely fall to around $0.14/Wh. By 2035, they could decline further to $0.09-10/Wh with rapid, large-scale market expansion.
At the time of going to press CATL could not be reached for confirmation of the trial production. However, their chief scientist Wu Kai said at the China International Battery Fair on April 28, that the firm was targeting small-volume production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027. This was the first time the battery maker had announced a mass-production timeline for the new type of battery.
CATL chairman Robin Zeng said this September that his company’s research in the field of all-solid-state batteries was second to none compared with its competitors. Market commentators says Zeng — who first announced his interest in the technology in 2016 — now has an all-solid-state battery team of some 1,000 researchers.
According to the local media report, CATL’s present 20Ah battery can achieve an energy density of 500 Wh/kg for lithium ternary batteries — a target that Wu outlined in March.
The best density yet achieved is for liquid lithium batteries which can reach around 350Wh/kg.
Solid state batteries have been in the limelight since the start of the year.
In January, the Chinese government formed the China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform (CASIP) — a consortium of battery and EV makers to begin work on the development of solid-state batteries.
The consortium’s aim was to begin production of solid-state batteries by the end of the decade.
CASIP participants include CATL, CALB, EVE Energy, SVOLT, Gotion High-Tech and the BYD battery subsidiary FinDreams Battery. There are also several state-owned manufacturers from the automotive industry as well as the private companies BYD and Nio.
Other stakeholders include representatives from government and academia. On the government side are the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) and the National Energy Administration. The scientific part is covered by government-affiliated research institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
At the end of May the Chinese government announced its plans to invest the equivalent of around $830 million into six firms. These are CATL, BYD and WeLion New Energy Technology as well as car manufacturers FAW, SAIC and Geely.
The international competition in SSB technology is rapidly increasing. There is a huge amount of earnings possible for the front-runners in commercializing this technology.
Japan’s Toyota Motor announced this June it had achieved a breakthrough in solid-state technology that addressed durability problems. It said it planned commercialization in 2027-2028 of a battery with a range of 1,000km and a charging time of 10 minutes.
Honda and Nissan also say they are each close to commercializing solid-state EVs in the next three to four years.
US startup QuantumScape, which has deals with six automakers including Volkswagen has developed a semi-solid state cell with no anode that uses lithium metal, a ceramic separator and liquid electrolyte. It shipped its first prototype samples in late 2022, which VW said showed the battery could drive more than 500,000 miles without any noticeable loss of range and had a fast charging time to 80% capacity in 15 minutes.
France’s Blue Solutions, is already selling solid state batteries for buses with a charging time of four hours, but is developing a new product for cars that uses a polymer electrolyte and ultra-thin lithium metal anode, aiming to have a charging time of less than 20 minutes and enabling a range increase of about 30% to nearly 1,000 km.
The company says it aims to build a gigafactory for its new batteries by 2029 and has signed a joint development agreement with BMW.
Other firms competing in this sector include: ProLogium Technology (with cooperation deals with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and TotalEngergies); Chinese EV maker, Nio; and Ganfeng LiEnergy, US start-ups Solid Power and Factorial Energy; and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI.
Despite the research and developmental efforts in place, mass adoption remains still a long way off: there are constraints in raw material availability; the intricate manufacturing processes involved; and the EV prices that may be needed to defray the huge costs involved in the R&D.
TrendForce believes that the development of SSB technology is cautious yet optimistic. Although key performance indicators such as charge-discharge rates and cycle life have not yet reached commercialization standards—and current costs remain uncompetitive with liquid li-ion batteries—SSB costs will improve significantly as production scales up, owing to strong government policies and capital investment.
