Honda intends to produce EV solid-state batteries
Honda established a demonstration plant in Japan to showcase its intentions to mass-produce solid-state batteries at a reduced cost, which may be essential to enabling future electric cars with greater range and longer lifespans.
For many businesses, solid-state batteries have proven elusive because of the difficulty of increasing production. The concept promises a better energy density and longer longevity by replacing the liquid electrolytes present in existing lithium-ion batteries with dry conducting materials. However, for it to succeed, a whole new manufacturing method will be needed.
Solid-state batteries are being aggressively sought after by a number of businesses, including Nissan, Factorial, which is exploring semi-solid-state batteries compatible with Dodge Chargers, and Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape.
Honda claims to be cutting down on the time needed to produce a single unit and speeding up research at its new 27,000 square meter demonstration facility located in Sakura City, Japan. Three buildings on the site house the full-scale equipment for cathode creation and cell construction, anode formation, and electrolyte activation and module assembly, respectively.
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A continuous inline mixer, which Honda claims is “three times faster” than conventional cell batch processing, is part of the idea. In January, Honda intends to start producing batteries on this line.
Honda intends to mass-produce its solid-state technology in the second half of the 2020s. The company’s CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, made a suggestion that solid-state batteries would also be the key to making EVs more reasonably priced.
Honda is relying on its other initiatives to maintain its leadership position in the EV market. Based on GM’s EV architecture, Honda’s Prologue SUV is doing well in the US, and the business is preparing a bigger SUV for 2025. Additionally, it will employ the new Honda Zero platform, which is powered by LG batteries (Honda and LG are constructing a battery facility in Ohio jointly), to introduce a production car at CES.
