Nissan unveils solid-state battery pilot line in Japan

Nissan has unveiled its all-solid-state EV battery production facility at its Yokohama Plant in Japan.

The production line is aimed to promote further development of solid-state battery technology for its upcoming electric vehicles.

Nissan said upcoming all-solid-state batteries have the potential for energy density approximately twice that of conventional lithium-ion batteries, significantly shorter charging times due to superior charge and discharge performance, and lower costs due to less expensive materials.

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The Japanese brand plans to use all-solid-state batteries in various vehicle segments, including utes.

Nissan says it is “conducting wide ranging research and development, from molecular-level battery material research to electric vehicle development , including the use of EVs as storage batteries in city development”.

Other brands are also working on the development of solid-state batteries, such as Toyota.

Vikram Gulati, head of Toyota Kirloskar Motor in India, said, “[Toyota] will be rolling out our electric vehicles with solid-state batteries in a couple of years from now”.

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What are solid-state batteries, and why should I care?

In short, solid-state batteries utilise a solid electrolyte chemical mixture rather than the liquid electrolyte found in current EV batteries.

Solid-state batteries have a faster charging time and better lifespan, with the ability to retain more than 80 per cent of their capacity after 800 charging cycles.

The production capacity isn’t quite ready for mainstream use, but we should see it in the next couple of years, with Nissan, Toyota and Honda teaming up to aid development in previous years.