Solid-state batteries enter pilot production, costs expected to drastically drop

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From pv magazine’s ESS News

The push to commercialize solid-state batteries (SSBs) is underway with industries from automotive to storage betting on the technology. But while the hype around full solid-state batteries has somewhat subsided, with the technology taking longer than expected to take off, semi-solid-state batteries, which use a hybrid design of solid and liquid electrolyte, have been making steady progress toward commercialization.

TrendForce’s latest findings reveal that major manufacturers across the globe – such as Toyota, Nissan, and Samsung SDI – have already begun pilot production of all-solid-state batteries. It is estimated that production volumes could have GWh levels by 2027 as these companies race to scale up production.

The decades-old technology promises improvements in safety and energy density, but has so far struggled to achieve commercial success. High production costs, complex manufacturing processes, and a lack of a mature supply chain have held back deployment.

In the meantime, semi-solid-state batteries have already been commercialized to a good extent and are currently deployed in electric vehicles. According to TrendForce, they have already reached GWh-level scale installation, with cell energy densities ranging from 300–360 Wh/kg.

The initial price of semi-solid-state cells exceeds CNY 1/Wh ($0,14/Wh) due to small production scales and the relative immaturity of manufacturing technologies. TrendForce anticipates that with increased production scale and technological advancements, the comprehensive cost of semi-solid-state batteries could drop below CNY 0.4/Wh by 2035.

All-solid-state batteries are moving from prototype sample cells to engineering-scale production and are also expected to encounter high early-stage production costs that could raise initial product prices. TrendForce projects that, by 2030, if the scale of all-solid-state battery applications surpasses 10 GWh, cell prices will likely fall to around CNY 1/Wh. By 2035, cell prices could decline further to CNY 0.6–0.7/Wh with rapid, large-scale market expansion.

Focus on sulfide-based SSB technology

Today, there are three competing ways to do solid-state batteries based on different types of electrolyte, and each has its own set of technological bottlenecks. Polymer-based solid-state batteries are relatively mature and have already been commercialized in parts of Europe…

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