Stellantis has revealed plans to conduct real-world testing of solid-state batteries, utilizing the Dodge Charger Daytona EV as its test fleet. Solid-state batteries are highly sought after because they promise the potential for greater power output, higher energy density leading to longer driving ranges, and much faster recharging capabilities compared to the current batteries that use liquid electrolytes. The testing is not scheduled to occur until 2026, and no release date has been announced for the incorporation of these batteries in upcoming Stellantis electric vehicles. Wednesday, Stellantis said that by 2026, solid-state battery cells will be put in a fleet of electric cars, such as the Dodge Charger Daytona, to test the new technology. The cells will be provided by Factorial, a battery startup to which Volkswagen gave $75 million in 2021. The fleet of solid-state chargers will be the first public test of the new cell technology in passenger cars. However, Factorial’s cells won’t be mass-produced for cars until they are shown to be as lasting as current cell technologies. Everything after the electric Daytona in the 2025 Dodge Charger is built on Stellantis’ STLA Large multi-energy platform. Stellantis says something is “multi-energy” if it has either a battery-powered electric system or an internal combustion engine. In the end, new cars from Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati will be built on top of it. Semi Solid Electrolytes The FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) breakthrough in Factororial cells is thought to have 391 watt-hours of energy per kilogram. That’s just for the cells; the extra weight of an electric vehicle’s battery pack lowers this number. The cells made by Factorial are officially “semi-solid” technology because they use a “quasi-solid electrolyte” that lets them use a lithium anode instead of graphite for higher energy density and more advanced versions of the cobalt- and nickel-based cathodes used today. The new cells can be made using existing battery plants and production methods, which is very important because they work with current cell-making tools. Factorial works on projects with Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Kia, in addition to Stellantis. Last year, it opened a research office in Munich and a small battery factory in Methuen, Massachusetts. The Sacred Grail Electric car makers have long considered solid-state battery technology the Holy Grail. Most advances in cell technology result from changes in chemicals, higher manufacturing yields, and economies of scale. Each year, hundreds of thousands of electric car cells are made in many gigafactories. Solid-state cells, on the other hand, are very different from other cells and are a real step forward in battery science. They should be able to provide more power, hold more energy, allow for longer driving ranges, and recharge much faster than regular liquid electrolyte cells. The issues are the same with each new cell. Are they strong enough to last ten years and more than 100,000 miles without getting damaged? How many of them are made, like how lithium-ion cells in current cars are? Most importantly, can all of this happen at a price low enough for more people to be able to buy EVs? It was Toyota that made the first mass-produced parallel hybrid systems 25 years ago, and the company has been a big supporter of solid-state cells ever since. The company’s leaders say that mass production of electric cars will only be possible once solid-state batteries are made. (Tesla may be different.) Many people think that Toyota is the best at making many high-quality cars. They do this by constantly improving both the parts they use and the way they make them. However, even that company has had trouble making solid-state cells. In December 2010, fifteen years ago, Toyota showed off a prototype solid-state cell for the first time. The company said four times, in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2017, that it would begin making solid-state cells in 2020. It was said in 2017 that production planning for the cell was already underway. It said in 2019 that a solid-state-powered car would be shown off the following year, but that production was still “far off.” In 2023, the date when the car would be made was pushed back to 2027. Encouraging Progress, but Not Yet Fully Ready for Delivery It is important to know that most electric vehicles made between 2025 and 2030 will still use variations on two chemicals that are already being used in large quantities. The first ones were NMCA (nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminum) cathode lithium cells. These cost more but have a higher energy density. The second type, lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, are more common in China than in the US. They are made from metals that are easier to get and cost less, but they have less energy per unit weight. The EV business as a whole thinks that solid-state cells are getting closer, even though exact dates are still being discussed. Public testing of a fleet of electric Dodge Chargers using that new cell technology could shed light on the pros and cons of early solid-state batteries and how well they worked in real life. All of these new advances in storing energy for electric cars should be used with care, though. Check back in two years to see if those powerful Charger Daytonas will be on the road, and listen to what Stellantis has to say about how well they do.
