Toyota is making significant investments in solid-state batteries, a promising technology that has the potential to revolutionize the performance of electric vehicles (EVs). Toyota is promising that its future solid-state batteries will allow EVs to travel more than 621 miles (1,000 km) on a full charge. They will also allow drivers to recharge their EVs to 80% in just 10 minutes.
Toyota has already developed a working solid-state battery prototype. However, it will still be some time before these batteries are widely used in mass-market EVs.
In October, Toyota announced a partnership with Idemitsu, a petrochemical company, to manufacture solid-state batteries. The Toyota-Idemitsu partnership will use a new ceramic-like sulfide material as the solid electrolyte.
The Toyota solid-state battery offers advantages such as higher energy density, lighter weight, faster charging, and reduced risk of fire compared to current lithium-ion batteries. However, the battery will be manufactured on a much smaller scale than many were hoping.
In a public statement issued this week, Toyota said that it will manufacture enough solid-state batteries to power “over ten thousand vehicles” by 2030. As Electrek notes, Toyota has promised to manufacture 3.5 million EVs by 2030. Therefore, if Toyota meets its production goals, less than 1% of its EVs will be powered by solid-state batteries in 2030.
According to The Drive, solid-state batteries will initially be used in high-end vehicles or tech-demonstrator models, potentially under the Lexus brand. One confirmed recipient of these batteries will be the successor to the Lexus LFA supercar.
Toyota’s announcement is not surprising to the company’s many skeptics. The company has a history of failing to keep its grand promises regarding EVs.
In 2009, Toyota told reporters that it had developed a new EV battery based on lithium cobalt oxide crystals. The battery would increase EV range by a factor of ten. Toyota has never used the battery in any EV to date.
