Lithium metal batteries with solid electrolytes are lightweight, inflammable, pack a lot of energy, and can be recharged very quickly, but they have been slow to develop due to mysterious short circuiting and failure. Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory now report that the root cause of... Read more →

With the keel laying, construction has begun at Next Generation Shipyards in the Netherlands of Neo Orbis, a 20m fuel-cell hybrid port vessel using sodium borohydride as a solid-state hydrogen storage medium. The pilot project is being executed in collaboration with H2Ships, Port of Amsterdam, TU Delft Fuel (the inventor... Read more →

Solid-state battery company Ilika Technologies is leading a 24-month, £8-million (US$9.9-million) Faraday Battery Challenge collaboration project. The HISTORY (HIgh Silicon content anOdes for a solid-state batteRY) project will start on 1 February 2023 and focus on integrating high silicon content electrodes into Ilika’s Goliath SSB (solid state battery) for electric... Read more →

Sakuú, the developer of 3D-printed Swift Print solid-state battery technology (earlier post), has selected Porsche Consulting, a subsidiary of the automotive manufacturer Porsche, to lead all aspects of design for its planned global gigafactories. The relationship will ensure that Sakuú has expertise secured for building gigafactories to meet its 2030... Read more →

Under an expanded Joint Development Agreement, BMW Group and Solid Power have added a research and development license as a basis for their common next steps. This license enables BMW to establish an all solid-state battery (ASSB) prototype line in its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf near Munich.... Read more →

A group of researchers from China and Japan has identified a key inhibitor to hydrogen desorption in magnesium hydride (MgH2) solid-state hydrogen storage materials. Details of their findings were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. Currently, hydrogen is stored by three methods: high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage; low-temperature liquid... Read more →

ION Storage Systems Inc. (ION) will participate in the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) EVs4ALL program as part of a $­4.8-million grant awarded to the University of Maryland (UMD). (Earlier post.) ARPA-E’s EVs4ALL program seeks to increase EV adoption and market share by developing next-generation battery technologies to significantly improve... Read more →

Factorial, a developer of next-generation solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, previewed a 100 Ah battery cell at CES 2023 in the Stellantis exhibition space. Developed as part of Factorial and Stellantis’ joint development agreement announced in November 2021, this cell results from the two companies’ continued collaboration to bring... Read more →

Researchers at La Sapienza in Rome are proposing silicon-based anodes, composed of micrometric Si, graphite (MAG), LiI-Li3PS4 solid electrolyte (LPSI), and carbon nanofiber (CNF), which can be prepared by straightforward manual grinding. A paper on their work is published in ChemSusChem. The mixture design approach allows the discrimination of the... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation has shipped its first 24-layer prototype lithium-metal battery cells to automotive OEMs for testing. Delivery of these cells, referred to as A0 samples, was the company’s key public milestone for the year, and achieving this goal represents an important step toward the commercialization of this technology, the company... Read more →

Solid Power, a developer of all-solid-state battery and sulfide-based electrolyte technology, has deepened its partnership with the BMW Group. (Earlier post.) Under an expanded Joint Development Agreement, Solid Power has granted the BMW Group a research and development license to Solid Power’s all-solid-state cell design and manufacturing know-how. The broadened... Read more →

Solid-state sodium-ion battery company LiNa Energy (earlier post) successfully completed an independent demonstration of its lithium-free sodium batteries for energy storage systems with commercial partner ion Ventures. The test was performed independently at HORIBA MIRA and was funded via support from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy... Read more →

MIT researchers led by MIT Professor and colleagues at Brown University have developed an approach to controlling dendrite propagation in solid-state batteries. A paper on their work is published in the journal Joule. MIT Professor Yet-Ming Chiang, the corresponding author of the paper, says in the group’s earlier work, they... Read more →

Sakuu, the developer of Swift Print solid-state battery technology (earlier post), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LiCAP Technologies, a provider of sustainable and scalable electrode coating solutions. Under the MOU, the two companies will partner to establish best practices for end-to-end development and the reliable commercial supply... Read more →

Solid-state sodium-ion battery company LiNa Energy has closed out a £3-million (US$3.4-million) late seed funding round, primarily from existing investors. (Earlier post.) This funding will accelerate the path to commercialization through developing a next-generation electrolyte, automating manual processes to assemble more cells, and perform pre-FEED studies ahead of investing in... Read more →

Sakuu, developer of the first 3D printed solid-state battery (earlier post), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s NGK Spark Plugs CO., LTD. (NGK), a global leader in electrochemical materials and a tier-one industrial automotive supplier. Under the MOU, NGK will co-develop and provide ceramic materials for Sakuu’s... Read more →

Adden Energy, Inc., a startup developing innovative solid-state battery systems for use in future electric vehicles (EVs) that would fully charge in minutes, announced the grant of an exclusive technology license by Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development (OTD) and a seed round financing of $5.15 million. Primavera Capital Group... Read more →

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been selected to lead an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) focused on polymer electrolytes for next-generation energy storage devices such as fuel cells and solid-state electric vehicle batteries. Announced recently by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the award will provide $11.5... Read more →

Factorial Energy, a developer of solid-state battery technology for electric vehicle (EV) applications, will establish a new advanced manufacturing facility in the Boston suburb of Methuen, Mass. The new facility will produce Factorial’s new solid-state battery cell technology for EVs. The new production site was recently secured by Factorial with... Read more →

A team led by researchers from Central South University (Changsha, Hunan, China) has proposed a cathode-electrolyte integration strategy to produce a solid-state lithium-metal battery with enhanced cycle stability. A paper on their work is published in the Journal of Power Sources. Solid-state lithium-metal batteries have many appealing properties, such as... Read more →

In its Q2 letter to shareholders, solid-state battery company QuantumScape reported successfully building and testing ts first prototype 24-layer cells. The 24-layer cells show similar early capacity retention behavior to the company’s earlier single-, four-, 10- and 16-layer cells. This is an important result because, as we have previously indicated,... Read more →

Solid-state batteries could reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries by up to 39%, according to a study commissioned by European environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) from Minviro, a company specializing in raw material life-cycle analysis, which compared emerging solid-state technology to current battery chemistries. Solid state technology... Read more →

VinFast, through a company in Vingroup, announced an investment in the tens of millions of US dollars in ProLogium (earlier post), a manufacturer of solid-state batteries. VinFast also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with ProLogium setting out strategic cooperation arrangements to secure next-generation solid-state battery supplies and support the... Read more →

Nikkei partnered with Tokyo research company Patent Result to analyze solid-state battery patent applications submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization and another group. The study looked at applications turned in between 2000 through the end of March from 10 countries and territories. The study found that Toyota Motor is... Read more →

Umicore and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd have agreed to develop jointly high-performance catholyte materials for solid-state batteries, combining their respective expertise in cathode active materials (CAM) and solid electrolytes, and aiming to provide the technological breakthrough to extend the driving range and thereby propel e-mobility. Catholytes combine cathode active materials... Read more →

Researchers at Beijing University of Technology have developed a thin free-standing composite solid electrolyte (CSE) film for solid-state lithium metal batteries. The film offers high ionic conductivity (2.76×10-4 S/cm at 25 °C) and wide electrochemical stability window (4.8 V vs. Li+/Li). In an open-access paper published in the RSC journal... Read more →

Newly created Basquevolt, the Basque solid-state battery initiative, will begin production of battery cells in 2027 with the aim of reaching 10GWh capacity. Basquevolt founding shareholders include the Basque Government, through the venture capital fund Ezten, Iberdrola, CIE Automotive, Enagás, EIT InnoEnergy and CIC energiGUNE. Basquevolt is supported by an... Read more →

A team from MIT has developed a new approach to fabricating oxide-based solid-state electrolytes that are comparable in thickness to the polymer separators found in current Li-ion batteries without sintering: sequential decomposition synthesis (SDS). An open-access paper describing the approach and its application to processing Li garnets is published in... Read more →

Solid Power, a developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles, has completed installation of its pilot production line—dubbed the “EV cell pilot line”—which is designed to produce EV-scale solid-state cells. Solid Power intends to produce Silicon EV Cells for internal testing before delivering cells to its automotive partners BMW... Read more →

Korea-based LOTTE Chemical and US-based solid-state battery component startup Soelect recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to review the creation of a joint venture and the construction of a US$200-million GWh-grade lithium metal anode production facility in the United States by 2025. Soelect’s LiX lithium metal anode enables fast charge... Read more →

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 →