The Korean giant recently delivered the first prototypes of its solid-state batteries with a remarkable energy density of 500 Wh/kg
August 7, 2024
Finally the “solid state”. For some years now, there has been a lot of talk about this technology, indicated as the next revolution in the automotive sector. Solid state batteries promise a much higher energy density than the lithium ion ones currently used and this translates into better performance, that is, more autonomy and shorter charging times, and lower weight and volume. Among the companies at the forefront of this development phase is obviously the Korean giant Samsung which in recent days, as also reported by our colleagues at Automoto, at the SNE Battery Day 2024 fair in Seoul, declared that its solid state batteries already guarantee a range of just under 1,000 km and can be recharged from 10% to 80% in just nine minutes. “We recently provided samples to customers and are receiving very positive feedback,” reported a spokesperson for Samsung SDI.
Benefits and limitations
Samsung’s solid-state batteries have an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, which is much higher than the best batteries currently available on the market, and are certified to last at least 20 years. This technology uses a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one like in lithium-ion batteries. This is why they have a higher energy density, meaning they can store more kilowatt hours for the same volume. They also have another undoubted advantage: they are safer, overcoming the issue of flammability.
So why aren’t they a reality yet? The reason is first and foremost economic because producing them still has much higher costs. The first application will therefore be on so-called “super premium” cars, which are therefore very expensive, but the fact that the first prototypes have been delivered for testing means that we most likely won’t have to wait many more years before seeing them “on the road”. Of course, it would be interesting to see them applied to two-wheelers and they could potentially really overturn everything we think about electric motorcycles or electric bicycles today. Think of lighter and more compact motorcycles but with double the autonomy and charging times of a few minutes!
Clearly all companies in the sector are looking for the solution to achieve this result. Companies such as the Chinese NIO, CATL and BYD now seem close to an official introduction of solid-state technology. Even in the United States there are QuantumScape, Factorial and Solid Power at work, while in Europe there is the Spinmate project. Even Toyota has gone out on a limb on the subject, declaring that it will put them on the market by 2027. In short, it seems that solid-state batteries will be a reality very soon. We will then have to understand how long it will take for them to become accessible.
