Benzinga and presumably others are reporting that a US firm QuantumScape has developed a battery technology that triples the energy density of current generation lithium-ion batteries while allowing 15 minute charge times.
I found this part of the story, um, interesting…
QuantumScape’s journey has been marked by strategic partnerships and solid financial backing. With Volkswagen as a major investor, the startup is well-positioned to leverage VW’s extensive automotive expertise and global reach. The company’s impressive performance in various testing scenarios, including extreme temperatures and rapid charging cycles, has bolstered confidence in its technology.
Well, with Volkswagen’s prowess in testing technology, we know one thing for sure about these batteries… They’ll pass the diesel emissions test with flying colors.
Like all leapfrog advancement notices in battery technology, this probably needs to be taken with a large grain of salt.
I don’t understand these types of conversations. Technology progresses with time. Almost always. There are various companies out there working on solid-state batteries, working on higher energy density, working on more stable chemistries, working on wider temperature ranges, etc. And all those companies plan to eventually sell their products to other companies that use batteries. And Tesla is one of those potential customers (perhaps even one of the biggest potential customers). And, yes, sometimes the companies working on those new technologies are themselves auto companies … including Tesla.
In the end, a technology breakthrough in batteries will benefit the EV industry as a whole. Including Tesla.
I don’t doubt multiple firms are working on improving battery technology (storage or charging aspects) and that improvements will always be coming. I just thought a press release referencing a partnership with VW in the same sentence as the new firm’s impressive test results in charging speed and energy density in the same paragraph was funny. Cuz, um, VW is famous for fantastic test results in technologies for saving the planet.
And the solid state battery seems to be better than lithium-ion battery.
A lithium-ion battery utilizes a liquid electrolyte solution that can be volatile and flammable at high temperatures. These batteries are considered a safety risk because they can catch fire if there is a short circuit or physical damage. Also, the only way to expand energy density in EVs is by adding more batteries, which takes up valuable space, adds weight, and drives up costs.
JDPower.com indicated that “solid-state batteries can reach an 80% charge within 15 minutes and incur less strain after multiple charging cycles. A lithium-ion battery will begin to degrade and lose power capacity after 1,000 cycles. A solid-state battery will maintain 90% of its capacity after 5,000 cycles. This allows solid-state batteries to be lighter, have more energy density, offer more range, and recharge faster.”
Perhaps anyone who rushed out to invest on lithium mining might do well to reconsider their investment.
And Toyota was one of the vendors I was thinking of. I’m a huge Toyota fan but even Toyota’s track record in battery innovation has not kept pace with their hype. They seem to announce a new development every year that’s always “three years, maybe four” away from production yet there haven’t been any real breakthroughs that have reached the showroom. Everyone’s trying hard, progress WILL be made over time, but it will be uneven, hard to predict and even riskier to bet on.
Yep
Toyota hopes to have solid state battery EVs by 2027. Will they? Who knows but the new & younger CEO seems committed. Certainly more so than previous CEO Akio Toyoda who had EV vehicles on back burner and was relying upon hybrid vehicles.
Start up NIO seems to be on the solid state band wagon. I’m there are others comtemplating a switch over to solid state batteries.
That is certainly a very misleading clickbait’ish headline. It worked, got me to click on a link! But the battery tech is for a speaker system in the Tacoma. I got took!
Toyota will produce 10,000 batteries six years from now. Jeepers. I don’t think Tesla or BYD are all that concerned. This suggests that the batteries are either really expensive to mass produce or that Toyota still isn’t serious about EVs.
As for Quantumscape, it is perhaps only a coincidence that the company has options expiring on Dec 1.
“If many options contracts expire in the money (i.e., the stock price is above the strike price), the owners may exercise their options and buy the stock. This can increase the stock demand, potentially driving up the price.” Why Is QuantumScape (QS) Stock Up 11% Today? | InvestorPlace
I am certainly not an options expert but it sounds like the company might be motivated to pump up the stock prior to the options expiration. But what do I know?
1)The article does not indicate how much lithium is needed for a solid state battery
2)a solid state battery can be charged 10,000 times and lasts much longer than a lithium battery. Thus less demand for lithium.
Will Toyota be the only maker and sole demand for solid state batteries which tolerate 10,000 charging cycles and are less flammable and have more range than lithium batteries. I don’t think so.
If the batteries are that good wouldn’t demand sky rocket (initially) for batteries in cars, phones, laptops, power tools, drones, semi trucks, grid batteries, etc.?
Especially since many items with a permanent sealed-at-the-factory device could be better and cheaper (watches, phones come to mind) and grid batteries could be fully cycled every day for 27 years!
The more abundant things become (supply) the cheaper they get and, being more affordable, the more we use of them (demand). It’s not a zero sum game. Thomas Watson said the world needed five computers, now most everyone has one in his/hers/its back pocket.
I daresay he would be shocked at the world today. As I look around, there are at least 100 computers at my house right now. The computer I am typing on is one (and has multiple cores, but let’s count it as one). The phone on my desk (also multiple cores). The older phones in my bedroom (used for spares, games, and testing mainly). Two thermostats. Oven. My iPad. My watch. Fridge. A/C units. The cars have at least 20, and probably more than 50, of them. My blood pressure monitor. Each kid has a phone, an iPad, and a laptop, and some kids have a watch (that’s probably 24 more). Wife laptop, phone. Cordless phone system with 4 handsets (that’s 5 more right there). Son’s meta-Quest thingie (probably has 5+ computers in it, but he doesn’t use it anymore). Should we count smart bulbs? Cameras? Pool pump timer (even has wifi). Should we count BT headphones? Maybe it’s over 200 by now?
At first the price will be high, so demand will rise to the level of supply at those prices. Over the years, manufacturers will get more efficient and the price will come down, and demand at those new prices will rise. The market will ensure that the “best use” (those who can pay the higher price) will get the new product first.
My opinion. Charging 10,000 times with minimal degradation isn’t very useful for consumer products with sealed batteries. That’s because a new generation of that consumer product will come out long before the battery declines, and that is wasteful, because people will replace them anyway to get the new features. Charging 10,000 times with minimal degradation will be much more useful for things like vehicles and grid storage, where the usable lifespan of the product is a decade or longer.
Lighter weight batteries with higher energy density will be quite useful for many consumer and commercial products, especially drones and vehicles where weight is a primary factor determining efficiency.
Depends on how much lithium are in solid state batteries. It is my impression much less lithium is needed in such a battery. I tried to find out on the internet but could not determine that is so. My supposition is based upon the fact that solid state batteries are much less flammable than lithium-ion batteries. I would appreciate any help to find the answer.
yep.
At first solid state batteries will cost more. But once manufacturing at scale is figured out the price will drop just like lithium-ion batteries.
This new battery is less flammable, has more range, and can be charged faster. Also as these batteries are more dense thus the number of batteries per EV are less; meaning reduced weight of an EV. That means tires will last longer and less wear & tear upon roads.
However, the most significant benefit, and the one that holds the most promise for addressing the lithium question, is the potential for reduced lithium usage…
A study published in the journal Nature Energy found that a prototype solid-state battery used only 20% of the lithium found in a conventional lithium-ion battery. This is a significant reduction and, if scalable, could have profound implications for the sustainability of battery production.