We recently spoke to a senior Nissan engineer about solid state batteries, also known as solid-state – one of those new technologies that you may have heard of and that you think will change the world.
Today’s battery cells have a gel electrolyte between each anode and cathode. That gel must be cooled, especially if the car is connected to the fast charger. That coolant and the pipes for it inevitably add space and weight to the car. In addition, they are complicated to build.
The difference between a lithium ion battery and a solid state battery
In a solid-state battery, that gel is replaced by a solid electrolyte that cannot overheat and thus does not require a space-consuming cooling system. According to Nissan’s calculations, we are looking at half the cost per kW compared to current gel batteries, and double the energy density. They would charge three times as fast and also last up to 100 percent.
Okay, Mr. Nissan, bring it on then. Ah, they say, not so fast. Nissan is probably at the end of or close to the end of the race, but it’s all still very much in the lab stage. And when they go into production, new platforms will probably be needed to take full advantage of them.
When is that solid state battery coming?
That means that you certainly don’t have to expect anything before 2028. Nissan and the other partners of the Alliance have quite a few cars to introduce before (and after) on what is still a fairly new market today. mid-size platform, plus an unknown smaller one for the R5, for example.
So gel batteries will continue to be put in new cars and improved until at least half of the next decade. So the current lithium-ion battery will not suddenly be obsolete or obsolete in a year’s time.
2023-06-11 14:06:22
#lithiumion #batteries #EVs #obsolete #quickly
