Japanese oil big, Idemitsu Kosan, is constructing a brand new large-scale lithium sulfide plant that may provide the uncooked materials for Toyota’s upcoming all-solid-state EV batteries.
New plant will provide Toyota’s all-solid-state EV batteries
Toyota has been promising to launch all-solid-state EV batteries for years, however these plans could lastly be coming collectively.
Idemitsu introduced on Thursday it would construct a large-scale manufacturing plant for lithium sulfide, a uncooked materials utilized in all-solid-state EV batteries.
All-solid-state batteries, typically known as the “holy grail” of EV battery tech, promise to ship drastic enhancements in driving vary, charging speeds, and power density. Because the identify implies, they characteristic a strong electrolyte quite than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which comprise a liquid electrolyte.
Japan’s Ministry of Economic system, Commerce, and Business (METI) has already accredited the deliberate development website. It would price round 21.3 billion yen ($142 million) and was deemed as a “plan for guaranteeing provide of storage batteries.”
Idemitsu goals to mass produce all-solid state batteries in 2027 and 2028. The plant will be capable of produce 1,000 metric tons of lithium sulphide yearly.
The corporate’s government officer Tetsuji Mishina instructed the media (through Reuters) at its oil refinery in China, the place it would construct the brand new facility.
Mishina additionally mentioned Toyota can be its first buyer earlier than it plans to broaden to others later. Toyota and Idemitsu have been working collectively since 2023 to develop strong electrolytes for the mass manufacturing of all-solid-state EV batteries.
The brand new plant is one other step in the precise route, a part of Idemitsu and Toyota’s plans to commercialize all-solid-state EV batteries in 2027 to 2028.
In September, Toyota was granted a METI certification, which gave it the inexperienced mild to construct the brand new batteries in Japan.
The approval comes as Japan seems to be to wean itself off dependence on China or South Korea for batteries and set up a secure native provide chain. Toyota and Idemitsu are amongst a number of main Japanese firms investing a mixed $7 billion (1 trillion yen) in home battery manufacturing.
Electrek’s Take
Will Toyota truly launch EVs powered by all-solid-state batteries? They’ve been touting the brand new battery tech for years, however it appears to have made some progress just lately.
In the meantime, others are already getting a head begin. Mercedes-Benz started testing the “world’s first” manufacturing EV powered by solid-state batteries earlier this month.
By its partnership with US-based Factorial Vitality and Mercedes AMG Excessive-Efficiency Powertrains (HPP), the corporate examined a barely modified EQS with over 621 miles of driving vary. Mercedes mentioned it was “the primary automobile powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the highway.”
Factorial is working with different main OEMs, together with Stellantis. Subsequent 12 months, Stellantis plans to launch a collection of electrical Dodge Chargers powered by Factorials solid-state batteries.
Honda, Hyundai, and let’s not overlook international battery leaders CATL and BYD, are additionally racing to launch the promising new battery tech.
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