With the promise of greater range, faster charging and cheaper production, solid state batteries are expected to transform the electric vehicle industry. Nissan this week announced that it had constructed a prototype production facility for laminated all-solid-state battery cells, with the aim of bringing them to market in 2028.
Last year we reported how a consortium of UK institutions had agreed to work together to develop solid state battery technology. Many motor vehicle manufacturers are working towards the same goal.
Also last year, Ford and BMW increased investment in Denver-based solid state battery firm, Solid Power, while Volkswagen and BMW have taken a stake in QuantumScape, another US solid state battery start-up, which is looking to start manufacturing in 2024-2025.
Nissan has developed a prototype facility within its research centre in Kanagawa Prefecture with plans to establish a pilot production line at its Yokohama Plant in 2024.
The firm believes the production cost of solid-state batteries could come down to $75 per kWh in 2028 and to $65 per kWh thereafter. That would be on a par with fossil fuel powered vehicles – only with far lower running costs.
Executive vice president in charge of R&D, Kunio Nakaguro, said: "Nissan has been a leader in electrification technology through a wide range of R&D activities, from molecular-level battery material research to the development of safe, high-performance EVs. Our initiatives even include city development using EVs as storage batteries.
“The knowledge gained from our experience supports the development of all-solid-state batteries and we’ve accumulated important elemental technologies. Going forward, our R&D and manufacturing divisions will continue to work together to utilise this prototype production facility and accelerate the practical application of all-solid-state batteries."
Nissan has previously said that it plans to localise manufacturing and sourcing to make electric vehicles more competitive and it also wants to scale-up its battery repurposing and recycling arm.
Last year the firm announced that it would open a large-scale battery factory in Sunderland in a move that will create around 6,000 jobs.
