Tech

This startup wants to pack more power into electric vehicle batteries


This solid-state battery technology is still years away from commercialization — Solid Power plans to ramp up production of enough materials for 800,000 cars annually by 2028 — but if it proves to be a reality, Batteries can greatly increase the performance of electric vehicles.

However, Solid Power will not manufacture and sell full batteries in the future. Instead, it will supply the solid electrolyte material to other battery makers, CEO Doug Campbell said.

The electrolyte analyzes electricity around the inside of the battery when it is charging or releasing electricity. In the lithium-ion batteries that power today’s electric vehicles, the electrolyte is liquid; Solid-state batteries use a layer of solid electrolyte between the other layers of the battery to charge.

This method opens up new options for battery chemistry. In particular, lithium metal and silicon-based chemicals are unstable or unsafe when combined with liquid electrolytes in cells, but could theoretically be used if a solid was substituted.

The result will be a battery that can fit more energy into a smaller space – meaning cars can travel further before they run out of battery. Solid Power’s batteries could eventually improve the energy density of a lithium ion battery by about half, says Campbell, so a vehicle that has traveled 350 miles before needing a recharge could extend its range. over 500 miles.

Eliminating the liquid will also make it easier to build safe cells, adds Campbell. While lithium-ion batteries have been designed with safeguards to ensure they do not catch fire or explode, liquid removal eliminates the need for this costly addition. Battery packs, which are made up of several cells together, can be denser, as their internal safety and temperature control systems will require less space.

The concept of getting the liquid electrolyte out of the battery cell is not new, say Lei Cheng, a chemist and battery researcher in the materials department at Argonne National Laboratory. For many years, however, much of the research on solid batteries has been focused on the use of organic polymers, such as polyethylene oxide.



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