Electronic Enthusiast Network reports (by Zhang Ying) According to foreign media reports, on July 28, Koh Joo-young, Vice President of Samsung SDI, stated at the 2024 SNE Battery Day held in Seoul, South Korea: "In the field of solid-state batteries, we have provided our first batch of products to customers from the end of last year to the beginning of this year, and have received positive feedback from customers. We will proceed with a 6-month test next."

It is reported that Samsung's latest solid-state battery technology will first power high-end electric vehicles, enabling a driving range of 621 miles (approximately 966 kilometers). The new type of battery may be put into mass production as early as 2027. According to reports, several car manufacturers have already begun testing samples. Samsung did not list any company names, but has cooperated with companies such as Hyundai, Stellantis, and General Motors.

In April of this year, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited launched the Zhiji L6, the world's first vehicle equipped with the first-generation Guangnian solid-state battery, which is the industry's first quasi-900V ultra-fast charging solid-state battery system. Its electrolyte layer uses a dry one-piece forming process. The energy load at the same weight is increased by 30%, and it can achieve high-temperature non-flammability, with a range of 400km after 12 minutes of charging. Since then, the sales volume of Zhiji cars has grown rapidly, with sales exceeding 6,000 units in June.

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What are the core advantages and technical challenges of all-solid-state battery technology? What are the highlights brought by Samsung SDI's breakthroughs in the field of solid-state batteries? What are the latest developments in solid-state batteries by companies in Japan, the United States, and China? This article provides a detailed analysis.

From lithium-ion batteries to the iteration of all-solid-state batteries, Samsung SDI introduces Super-Gap battery technology. In the field of electric vehicles, all-solid-state batteries replace the electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries with a solid. As the main force of the new generation of batteries, all-solid-state batteries have attracted industry attention because they can greatly increase the driving range of electric vehicles. Compared with existing lithium-ion batteries, the characteristics of all-solid-state batteries are short charging time but long driving distance.

Key materials of lithium batteries, such as cathodes, anodes, separators, etc., have been developed for many years, and the "involution" is very serious, approaching the limit of material performance. All-solid-state batteries have also become the key to the next step for power battery companies. Regarding the innovation of new materials and solid-state batteries, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University, Ouyang Ming'ao, has pointed out that achieving the transformation of the electrolyte from liquid to solid and the transition of anode materials is the key to the development of all-solid-state batteries.

Solid-state electrolytes are key components in solid-state batteries, and their technical routes can be divided into polymers, oxides, organic-inorganic composites, sulfides, etc. Entering the 21st century, the industry has discovered excellent compounds, paving the way for the research and development of all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.

At the recently held SNE Battery Day exhibition, the top five global power battery giants, Samsung SDI, introduced in detail the company's layout in the field of solid-state batteries. Samsung SDI released the Super-Gap solid-state battery technology as early as the first quarter of this year, increasing the energy density by 40% to 900Wh/L. The Super-Gap solid-state battery uses a sulfide solid-state electrolyte and a no-anode configuration, and the battery life is expected to reach 20 years.Samsung SDI Vice President Koh Joo-young stated: "All-solid-state batteries can enhance safety by transforming liquids into solids, and when made into the same package, they are lighter and take up less space, which can reduce the cost of the vehicle itself, thus piquing the interest of automobile manufacturers."

According to the latest data released by SNE, in the period from January to May 2024, CATL and BYD continued to be the two giants, with market shares of 37.5% and 15.7%, respectively. Among Korean manufacturers, LG Energy Solution had a market share of only 12.6% from January to May, while SK On and Samsung SDI had market shares of 4.9% and 4.8%, respectively. In the global power battery industry, Korean battery manufacturers hope to regain market share through innovative battery technologies.

The cost of solid-state batteries remains high, initially targeting the high-end electric vehicle market. For the entry-level market, Samsung will offer customers "semi-solid" batteries with lower costs, similar to those provided by the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO. The company is also developing LFP and medium-nickel batteries, which have lower nickel content and are therefore cheaper.

Japanese Toyota Motor Corporation intensifies solid-state battery research and development, with several American companies announcing progress.

One of the international automotive giants, Japanese Toyota Motor Corporation, has long focused on the development of "all-solid-state batteries." As early as 2010, Toyota had already unveiled a solid-state battery with a driving range exceeding 1000 km. Toyota holds over 1000 patents in the field of automotive-grade solid-state batteries, becoming a global leader in the solid-state battery industry.

On October 12, 2023, Toyota announced a partnership with Idemitsu Kosan to achieve mass production of all-solid-state batteries for pure electric vehicles. The two companies will collaborate on developing mass production technology for solid electrolytes, improving production efficiency, and building a supply chain. Through this move, Toyota aims to ensure the launch of pure electric vehicles equipped with all-solid-state batteries in the market between 2027 and 2028. The goal is to achieve a driving range of about 1200 kilometers with a charge time of less than 10 minutes, which is equivalent to twice the range of a traditional EV. Another Japanese automaker, Nissan Motor, plans to launch an all-solid-state battery EV in the market by the fiscal year 2028.

Why did Idemitsu Kosan win Toyota's favor? From the perspective of automotive manufacturers, the advantage of Idemitsu Kosan's solid electrolytes lies in mastering the manufacturing methods that can achieve water resistance, ionic conductivity, and flexibility. Idemitsu Kosan is not only capable of producing high-performance materials but also understands Toyota's methods for easily manufacturing batteries and enhancing performance. In addition to these intellectual properties, the two companies have had a 10-year cooperative relationship.

Furthermore, the Japanese company Maxell has developed cylindrical all-solid-state batteries capable of withstanding high temperatures of 150 degrees Celsius. After improving the electrode materials and formulations of existing products, the heat resistance has been increased by 25 degrees. In the field of all-solid-state batteries, companies such as Panasonic Holdings and TDK are also vigorously developing large-capacity technologies.

American companies are also actively investing in the research and development and mass production of solid-state batteries. On November 15, 2023, the American all-solid-state company Solid Power announced that it had produced the first batch of solid-state battery A samples and would deliver them to BMW. BMW hopes to launch the first prototype vehicle based on Solid Power battery technology before 2025.

Solid-state batteries have become a focus of research and development, and Chinese battery companies are clarifying their technological roadmaps.In early July, research institutions EVTank and YIWI Economic Research Institute, in collaboration with the China Battery Industry Research Institute, jointly updated the previously released "White Paper on the Development of China's Solid-State Battery Industry (2024)." The updated white paper anticipates that the mass production of all-solid-state batteries may be advanced to 2027, three years earlier than previously predicted.

EVTank stated that the strong financial support from the Chinese government for all-solid-state battery research, large-scale investments from social capital in solid-state battery enterprises, and the mass adoption of semi-solid-state battery products by automotive companies are significant factors that have propelled the advancement of the mass production timeline for all-solid-state batteries.

Three domestic power battery companies have announced progress in solid-state batteries. CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) revealed in its mid-year financial report for 2024 that solid-state batteries are expected to achieve small-scale mass production by 2027. CATL's Chief Scientist, Wu Kai, recently stated at the CIBF2024 Advanced Battery Frontier Technology Seminar that CATL's all-solid-state batteries are at the stage where principle samples or components have completed laboratory environment verification.

Xinwangda has announced the completion of the development of all-solid-state batteries with an energy density exceeding 400Wh/kg and plans to achieve mass production by 2026, with an expected capacity of 1GWh. Guoxuan High-Tech also disclosed that it conservatively expects to conduct small-batch vehicle experiments with all-solid-state batteries by 2027 and achieve mass production by 2030.

Recently, the scientific research team at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has achieved a new breakthrough in the field of all-solid-state lithium batteries, which could make the dream of miniaturizing electronic devices and extending their battery life a reality.

Under the leadership of researcher Cui Guanglei at the Solid-State Energy System Technology Center of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers including Ju Jiangwei, Cui Longfei, and Dr. Zhang Shu has developed a new material—homogenized cathode material (lithium titanium germanium phosphorus sulfur selenium). Compared to traditional materials, this material boasts advantages such as high electrical conductivity, high energy density, and long service life. It possesses both high ionic conductivity and high electronic conductivity, which are more than 1000 times higher than traditional battery materials (layered oxide cathode materials). This achievement has been published in the international academic journal "Nature—Energy."

The development and research of new materials provide technical support for the development of energy storage devices with high energy density and long service life, offering safe and durable power sources for new energy vehicles, energy storage grids, and deep-sea and deep-space equipment. We look forward to new technologies and materials aiding the technological breakthroughs and mass production of China's all-solid-state battery industry.

In conclusion, SAIC's Zhiji L6's light-year battery still belongs to the semi-solid-state battery category and still contains some electrolyte. The core barrier to solid-state batteries is the solid electrolyte, which is also the direction that major power battery companies are striving to overcome.

Currently, the energy density of liquid lithium batteries has reached 350Wh/Kg, with limited room for further improvement. If solid-state battery technology is introduced, it could further enhance energy density and safety. Companies such as Toyota, Samsung, Nissan, and CATL have entered the solid-state battery field, and we anticipate that within the next three years, there will be large-scale mass production and vehicle integration of all-solid-state batteries in this sector.