A new type of battery could finally make electric cars as convenient and cheap as gas ones. Solid-state batteries can use a wide range of chemistries, but a leading candidate for commercialization uses lithium metal. Quantumscape, for one, is focused on that technology and raised hundreds of millions in funding before going public in 2020.
Expect new battery chemistries for electric vehicles and a manufacturing boost thanks to government funding this year. BMW plans to invest $1.7 billion in their new factory in South Carolina to produce EVs and their batteries. AP Photo/Sean Rayford Every year the world runs more and more on batteries.
Then there might be improved lithium-ion batteries, maybe using silicon anodes or rocksalt cathodes, for mid-range vehicles, or perhaps solid-state lithium batteries will take over that class. Then there might be LiS or even lithium–air cells for high-end cars — or flying taxis. But there’s a lot of work yet to be done.
Over the years, lithium-ion batteries, widely used in electric vehicles (EVs) and portable devices, have increased in energy density, providing extended range and improved performance.
Actual cars powered by solid-state batteries seem to be perpetually on the horizon: Toyota’s original target date for commercializing them in the early 2020s has now slipped to the late 2020s, for example. When it comes to batteries, “Toyota has said a lot of things in the last ten years, none of which have come through,” cautions Ceder.
The replacement of NEVs is part of the goal to stop selling gasoline cars and boost NEVs sales. There is also a lack of data on the life cycle impacts of EVs, as well as a need to better understand the differences between EVs, power batteries and FVs when it comes to proposed total emissions over the lifetime of a given vehicle.