The next iteration in the world of electric vehicles is getting closer...at least, if Toyota's claims are accurate.
The legacy automaker is now claiming it has "found a technological breakthrough that will allow it to bring solid state batteries to market as early as 2027," according to PC Mag.
Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima said this week: "We found quality material. We'll keep up with the rest of the world and definitely put it to practical use."
As Samsung notes, a solid state battery "has higher energy density than a Li-ion battery that uses liquid electrolyte solution. It doesn’t have a risk of explosion or fire, so there is no need to have components for safety, thus saving more space. Then we have more space to put more active materials which increase battery capacity in the battery."
The report notes that the next key is going to be mass production, stating that the batteries will hit the market in 2027 or 2028, giving its vehicles 745 miles of range to start.
Then the plans move to a 932 mile range and a less-than-10 minute charging time. For a quick comparison, the article notes that right now the Tesla Model Y has a "maximum 330-mile range and 15-minute charging via Tesla Supercharger".
Toyota is just one of many automakers looking to commercialize the technology and the technology is still years away. In the interim, Toyota is using a new, low-cost "bipolar" lithium iron phosphate that the company says can result in a 20% increase in range and 40% reduction in cost.
But still, all roads eventually lead to solid state. And for Toyota, PC Mag predicts that once the technology is perfected, the brand will relaunch with Lexus its flagship electric vehicle brand.
