Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) and Stellantis have also joined the solid-state EV battery market, by investing in research and development, in partnership with the US firm Factorial Energy, which promises a 20 to 50% increase in driving range over conventional lithium-ion batteries.
For many years, the concept of a solid-state EV battery has enticed energy storage researchers and stakeholders in the automotive industry, with the promise of a battery that is lighter, cheaper, lasts longer, and performs better than a typical lithium-ion EV battery with a liquid or gel electrolyte.
The US Department of Energy anticipated that a solid-state battery for electric vehicles will soon win the cost-cutting competition. In May 2020, the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a thin yet strong solid electrolyte made of a ceramic-based substance for functionality and a plastic material for durability.
Thus, we get to Factorial Energy. The Massachusetts-based company which is selling a form of energy storage called FEST™ — Factorial Electrolyte System Technology. This system utilizes a patented solid electrolyte substance that “enables safe and consistent cell performance at ambient temperature with high-voltage and high-capacity electrodes.”
FEST-based battery solutions increase driving range by 20% to 50% without reducing pack lifetime and outperform current EV battery performance criteria, including those for energy density, cycle life, and safety.
Things appear to have moved quickly in this sector in recent months. Ford and BMW made large investments in solid-state electric vehicle battery technology this spring, and BMW is already praising solid-state batteries’ ecological credentials. Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen are also experimenting with solid-state drive technology.
Reference- GlobeNewswire, Factorial Energy website, Mercedes-Benz website, Clean Technica