Researchers at the University of Queensland have show that a low-cost Mg-based hydrogen storage alloy is possible with only 1 wt% Si. A high hydrogen capacity of 6.72 wt% hydrogen is achieved via trace sodium (Na) addition. A paper on their work is published in the Journal of Power Sources.... Read more →

Nissan unveiled its prototype production facility for laminated all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cells, which the company aims to bring to market in 2028. This prototype facility, within the Nissan Research Center in Kanagawa Prefecture, is aimed to further promote the development of all-solid-state-batteries. Nissan ASSB creation process in Oppama Research Center... Read more →

Blackstone Technology GmbH may begin commercialization of 3D-printed solid-state sodium-ion batteries as early as 2025. Blackstone, together with a German industry and research consortium, will take the validated laboratory results of the 3D-printed solid-state batteries to the stage of demonstration in a real environment within the next three years. The... Read more →

Sparkz, a battery startup with exclusive licenses from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to produce domestic cobalt-free lithium batteries (earlier post), will begin construction in 2022 of a Gigafactory in West Virginia to commercialize its zero-cobalt battery. Sparkz will focus on creating a strong and diverse workforce capable of competing... Read more →

Gogoro, a developer of battery swapping systems, announced the first solid-state lithium ceramic battery prototype for two-wheel EV battery swapping. Jointly developed by Gogoro and Taiwan-based solid-state battery company ProLogium Technology (earlier post), the new Gogoro solid state battery prototype integrates with Gogoro’s existing vehicles and swapping network. As a... Read more →

Sakuu, developer of the first 3D-printed solid-state battery (earlier post), reports achieving an energy-density of 800 Wh/L in its first-generation non-printed lithium-metal battery. The company said this marks a significant milestone on Sakuu’s roadmap to fully 3D printable solid-state batteries capable of greater than 1200 Wh/L by 2023. Until now,... Read more →

Solid-state batteries could potentially not only deliver twice as much energy for their size, they also could virtually eliminate the fire hazard associated with today’s lithium-ion batteries. However, instabilities at the boundary between the solid electrolyte layer and the two electrodes on either side can dramatically shorten the lifetime of... Read more →

Recent battery fires have renewed investigation of the safety of Li-ion batteries. One possible path to battery safety is a solid-state battery that replaces the volatile and flammable liquid electrolyte with a non-flammable solid electrolyte. While the safety benefits of this solid electrolyte replacement are widely acknowledged, the broader safety... Read more →

Boston-based SES AI Corporation, a developer of high-performance lithium-metal (Li-Metal) rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other applications, has incorporated its subsidiary SES Korea and plans to build a pre-production facility in South Korea. It’s all about speed and winning the race. Momentum is building as additional auto OEMs want... Read more →

Soelect recently completed its $11-million Series A financing. Lotte Ventures teamed with GM Ventures and KTB Network to make the investment. Lotte Ventures, through a fund sponsored by Lotte Chemical, was the lead investor. We’re thrilled to have the benefit of learning from the vast capabilities of our investment partners.... Read more →

Penn State researchers have proposed cold sintering as an improved method of solid-state battery production that enables multi-material integration for better batteries. A paper on their work is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Solid-state batteries have a lot of advantages from a safety perspective in that they don’t... Read more →

Solid-state Li-metal battery company QuantumScape released data showing its battery cells have completed 400 consecutive 15-minute fast-charging (4C) cycles from 10% to 80% of the cell’s capacity while retaining well above 80% of the initial energy—a first for this type of battery technology. QuantumScape conducted the tests on commercially relevant... Read more →

The Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Alliance has defined a common 2030 roadmap on pure-EV and Intelligent & Connected mobility, sharing investments for the benefits of its three-member companies and their customers. Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have already invested more than €10 billion in the field of electrification. In the main... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz and ProLogium, a developer of solid-state batteries (earlier post), have signed a technology cooperation agreement to develop next-generation battery cells. Mercedes-Benz will also make a high double-digit million euro investment in ProLogium. Under the agreement, Mercedes-Benz will take a seat on the ProLogium board of directors. The investment by... Read more →

Factorial Energy (Factorial) has raised $200 million as part of a Series D round of funding that was led by Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis Funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of Factorial’s solid-state battery technology that is safer and offers up to 50% greater driving range than... Read more →

All-solid-state lithium batteries could address a number of the shortcomings of conventional lithium-ion batteries in advanced applications such as in electric vehicles, which demand high energy densities, fast charging, and long cycle lives. However, the solid electrolyte comes with its own challenge; the interface between the positive electrode and solid... Read more →

Using a microscopic method for measuring electrical potential, a team of scientists at Sandia National Laboratories may have discovered how to identify rate-limiting processes in solid-state batteries. The findings are detailed in a paper in American Chemical Society Energy Letters. The performance of solid-state electrochemical systems is intimately tied to... Read more →

Solid-state battery company Factorial Energy (earlier post) has entered into Joint Collaboration Agreements with both Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, each of which is also making a strategic investment in the company. Factorial’s technology offers a high level of operational safety and extends driving range by 20 to 50 percent, addressing two... Read more →

Nissan Motor unveiled Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s new long-term vision for empowering mobility and beyond. With this vision, Nissan wants to deliver strategic value by empowering journeys offering confident, exciting, and more integrated experiences to customers, and through collaborations, empower society to build a smart ecosystem with integrated mobility.... Read more →

European 3D solid-state battery start-up LionVolt successfully closed a seed round of €4 million, bringing its total funding this year to more than €5 million. The round was led by deep tech venture capital firm Innovation Industries and joined by Brabant-focused startup fund Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (Brabant Development Agency, BOM) and... Read more →

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a scalable, low-cost method to improve the joining of materials in solid-state batteries, resolving one of the big challenges in the commercial development of safe, long-lived energy storage systems. Solid-state batteries incorporate a safer, fast-charging architecture featuring a... Read more →

A research team from Brown University and the University of Maryland has developed a new solid ion-conductor that combines copper with cellulose nanofibrils—polymer tubes derived from wood. In research published in the journal Nature, the team demonstrates that the paper-thin material has an ion conductivity that is 10 to 100... Read more →

SES (formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems), a developer of high-performance hybrid lithium-metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications (earlier post), unveiled Apollo, a 107 Ah Li-Metal battery that is the largest in the world and is targeted at the automotive industry. SES also announced the largest Li-metal... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation, a developer of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries for use in electric vehicles, released an independent third-party laboratory testing report on the performance of its solid-state lithium-metal battery cells. QuantumScape’s single-layer cells were tested by Mobile Power Solutions, an independent battery lab, and met automotive-relevant conditions: more than 800... Read more →

Start-up solid-state battery company Factorial Energy, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation are partnering to test Factorial’s novel solid-state battery technology and its integration in Hyundai electric vehicles. Under the Joint Development Agreement, which includes a strategic investment, the companies will integrate Factorial technology at the cell, module, and system... Read more →

Solid Power, a leading developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles (earlier post), announced a partnership with SK Innovation to manufacture automotive-scale all-solid-state batteries under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and joint development agreement (JDA). Together, the partnership is expected to enable SK Innovation to produce automotive-scale all-solid-state battery... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $209 million in funding to 26 new national laboratory projects focusing on electric vehicles, advanced batteries and connected vehicles. The US currently relies heavily on importing advanced battery components from abroad, which exposes the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities that threaten to... Read more →

SPARKZ Inc., a battery startup with exclusive licenses to produce domestic cobalt-free lithium batteries (earlier post), has won a grant for $2.6 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to extend its development into solid-state batteries. CEC funded the full amount possible for the first phase of the grant and... Read more →

StoreDot, the developer of extreme fast charging (XFC) technology for electric vehicles (earlier post), is opening an R&D innovation hub in California. The new US-based innovation hub is being established to help StoreDot in its mission to provide automotive battery technologies that will significantly enhance the electrified vehicle ownership experience,... Read more →

Solid-state sodium battery company LiNa Energy (earlier post) has closed out a £3.5-million (US$4.8-million) late seed funding round, attracting a combination of existing and new investors. This funding will enable the company to advance their technology through expanding their laboratory facilities, stepping-up recruitment and buying new equipment which will accelerate... Read more →

Solid Power, Inc., a developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, announced an award from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) for a multi-phase, multi-year research contract to develop nickel- and cobalt-free all-solid-state battery cells. Solid Power expects to receive up to $12.5 million to complete the project... Read more →

University of California San Diego nanoengineers, in collaboration with researchers at LG Energy Solution, have developed a battery that combines a solid-state electrolyte and an all-silicon anode. The initial rounds of tests show that the new battery is safe, long lasting, and energy dense. It holds promise for a wide... Read more →

Solid Power, Inc., an industry-leading developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, is adding a second Denver-area production facility in Thornton, Colorado. The new facility will greatly expand Solid Power’s capacity to produce key materials for its all-solid-state battery cells, including the ability to produce up to 30 metric... Read more →

In a livestreamed briefing on batteries and carbon neutrality, Toyota Chief Technology Officer Masahiko Maeda said that the company will invest ¥1.5 trillion (US$14.3 billion) in the development of a battery supply system and research and development by 2030. Toyota currently assumes it will go beyond the 180 GWh worth... Read more →

A consortium of seven UK-based organizations has signed a memorandum of understanding to combine ambitions to develop world-leading prototype solid-state battery technology, targeting automotive applications. Solid-state batteries offer significant potential advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries and could be transformational in meeting the UK’s net zero commitments through the electrification of... Read more →

Sakuú Corporation, an additive manufacturing technology company, announced the start of its solid-state battery (earlier post) pilot line and learning center. Sakuú’s pilot line will have the capability to produce up to 2.5 MWh per year of solid-state batteries and in the future will also serve as a customer learning... Read more →

Quanergy Systems, Inc., a leading provider of Optical Phased Array (OPA)-based solid state LiDAR sensors and smart 3D solutions for automotive and IoT, announced the successful driving demonstration of its S3 Series LiDAR, a solid-state LiDAR sensor using an industry-first Optical Phased Array (OPA) technology and a scalable CMOS silicon... Read more →

Sakuú Corporation (previously KeraCel Inc.), a developer of multi-process additive manufacturing (AM) technology, has produced a 3Ah lithium-metal solid-state battery (SSB) that equals or betters current lithium-ion batteries. (Earlier post.) Sakuú has been developing its first-generation SSB battery technology alongside its additive manufacturing platform, set for commercial launch by the... Read more →

Solid-state battery developer Quantumscape reported that it has made and is currently testing its first 10-layer cells in a commercially relevant (70x85 mm/ 2.8x3.4 inches) form factor. The cells are being tested at 1C and C/3 (one- and three-hour charge and discharge) rates under standard temperature (25 °C) and pressure... Read more →

In April, Factorial Energy, a start-up solid-state battery technology company, emerged from stealth mode with a 40Ah solid-state battery cell for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications. (Earlier post.) Now, Factorial Energy announced that the company’s initial round of testing of the 40 Ah cell cycle behavior at 25 ˚C... Read more →

A new report from IDTechEX forecasts the solid-state battery market will grow to $8 billion by 2031. Under most of the mass-production plans, the solid-state battery will likely take off after 2025, although small-scale production may happen even earlier, IDTechEX said. The car plug-in market will take the largest share... Read more →

Following the announcement by solid-state battery company Solid Power that it will become a publicly listed company through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), materials technology company Umicore announced that it holds a stake in Solid Power’s pre-SPAC transaction. This stake was built through two successive investment rounds (series A... Read more →

Solid-state battery technology developer Sakuu Corporation (previously KeraCel Inc.) recently announced the approval of three patents: a hybrid solid-state cell with a sealed anode structure; an additive manufacturing system with the ability to create an active device such as a micro-reactor or solid-state battery; and an electrophotographic multi-material 3D printer.... Read more →

In a perspective piece in the journal Joule, researchers at the University of Michigan lay out the main questions facing lithium-metal, solid-state batteries. To develop the questions, they worked in close collaboration with leaders in the auto industry. Major automakers are going all-in on electric vehicles this year, with many... Read more →

Solid Power, a producer of all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, provided details on its All-Solid-State Platform technology and the three unique battery designs it enables. Solid Power has also announced the successful transition of its high-content silicon all-solid-state battery to the company’s Colorado-based production line. Solid Power’s proprietary sulfide solid... Read more →

A team at Harvard has a developed a design for a solid-state battery that uses a hierarchy of interface stabilities (to lithium metal responses), to achieve an ultrahigh current density with no lithium dendrite penetration. Cycling performance of the Li-metal anode paired with a LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode is very stable, with... Read more →

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape Corporation (earlier post) has entered into an agreement with Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. to select the location of their joint-venture solid-state battery pilot-line facility by the end of 2021. The companies currently contemplate Salzgitter, Germany for the location. The pilot-line facility, QS-1, will initially be... Read more →

SK Inc., the holding company of SK Group, has invested an additional US$35.9 million (40 billion won) in SES (formerly SolidEnergy Systems), a developer of next-generation lithium metal batteries (earlier post). With this second investment, following the original 30-billion won (US$26.7 million) investment in 2018, SK now is the third-largest... Read more →

Solid Power, a developer of all solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, announced a $130-million Series B investment round led by the BMW Group, Ford Motor Company and Volta Energy Technologies. Ford and the BMW Group have also expanded existing joint development agreements with Solid Power to secure all solid-state batteries... Read more →

Factorial Energy, a start-up solid-state battery technology company, emerged from stealth mode with a 40Ah solid-state battery cell for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications. Factorial also announced the appointment of senior industry leaders with deep technical and automotive experience to its leadership team. Factorial Energy is naming Joe Taylor... Read more →