Solid-state EV battery — Toyota to shake up sector with lighter, more efficient energy source
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TOYOTA MOTOR TOYOTA’S production version of the all-electric Land Cruiser SUV Concept could be powered by the new solid-state lithium-iron-phosphate battery that the Japanese auto giant is developing with Idemitsu Kosan.
Three things hamper electric vehicles from finally being accepted by the public.
First, EVs' driving range is still an issue because they still can't cover long distances without having to charge from time to time; second, when it comes to charging, expect a lengthy wait before getting fully charged EVs; and last, their price tag is still a bit prohibitive when compared to their gasoline-fed counterparts.
What holds the key to solving all the hurdles mentioned is to improve or completely change lithium-ion batteries that EVs are currently using.
While they are the best option at the moment (they charge faster and have a more effective battery capacity compared to lead-acid or nickel-metal hydride batteries), lithium-ion batteries use raw materials that are expensive and complicated to mine and process
Only a few countries have enough deposits of these raw materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, among other metals. Fewer still are those countries that could mine and process them in a sustainable way.
Lastly, stringent safety and quality standards further increase the cost of lithium-ion batteries as manufacturers have to invest in research as well as testing to ensure that these batteries meet safety requirements. No wonder battery makes up around 40 percent of the price tag of most EVs today.
Breakthrough
Then came the news last October that Toyota Motor Corporation has reached a breakthrough that could halve the cost and size of these EV batteries. If successful, the world's largest-selling automaker said that their batteries will double the range of their EVs to up to 1,200 kilometers — more than twice the range of its current EVs — and a charging time of 10 minutes or less.
Last September, Toyota closed a partnership deal with fellow Japanese company Idemitsu Kosan to mass-produce ultrahigh-range EVs with solid-state batteries. This is a major development for a company that, until recently, has been reluctant in embracing EVs fully.
Currently, Toyota lags behind rivals like Tesla and China's BYD in the field of electrified vehicle offerings which mainly is because of the company's focus on producing more of its successful hybrid vehicles that are equipped with gasoline engines and battery-powered motors.