More Solid State Battery Moves in Asia!

It seems like every month there's a new announcement relating to Solid State Battery developments. Solid State has long been touted as the holy grail for battery developments but production at any kind of industrial scale has seemed a long way away. There is also growing scepticism as to the need for them, with “conventional” li-ion batteries continually improving in durability, range, and charging times. 

Well this week we've seen a new giant enter the fray, with Samsung announcing more details on their PRiMX solid state battery, at last week's InterBattery event in Seoul. Samsung have mooted their plans for solid state exploration before, but this announcement provided some more context, with some pretty bold claims!

• All solid state battery (not semi solid like we've seen elsewhere)
• High Energy Density - 450Wh/kg gravimetric and 900Wh/L volumetric 
• First samples produced at their Pilot line late last year with A to C sample qualifications over the next 2 years
• Plans to reach mass production in 2027
• Batteries expected to have ultra-fast chargeability 

Critically, the scientists and technologists out there have more questions than answers at this stage, with much more detail needed, but it does show Samsung are making progress. 

I will be eagerly tracking developments with Samsung, to see if they can overcome typical manufacturability issues SSBs have faced and maintain their bold performance claims at mass scale. 

This news comes just a few months after Toyota's SSB announcements. I previously wrote about the auto OEM's bold ambitions for industrial-scale SSB production by 2027, which were greeted my cautious optimism amongst some and clear doubt from others. Like Samsung, the devil will be in the detail. What we did see this week was Toyota's announcement to acquire Primearth EV Energy (PEVE), a JV with Panasonic, to boost their automotive battery capabilities - this is likely to cover BEV, HEV, and PHEVs. It's not clear whether the acquisition is linked to SSB developments. Nevertheless, it's a further signal of intent from them!

I'm eager to hear from you. Will we really see Solid State Batteries at industrial scale in this decade? If so, which applications will these be for? 

I lead the Energy Storage practice at Hyperion Executive Search. We help our clients to hire the best senior and executive talent across Europe and North America. If you're scaling your teams and need expert support, get in touch today!