Japanese oil big, Idemitsu Kosan, is constructing a brand new large-scale lithium sulfide plant that can provide the uncooked materials for Toyota’s upcoming all-solid-state EV batteries.
New plant will provide Toyota’s all-solid-state EV batteries
Toyota has been promising to launch all-solid-state EV batteries for years, however these plans might lastly be coming collectively.
Idemitsu introduced on Thursday it should construct a large-scale manufacturing plant for lithium sulfide, a uncooked materials utilized in all-solid-state EV batteries.
All-solid-state batteries, typically referred to as the “holy grail” of EV battery tech, promise to ship drastic enhancements in driving vary, charging speeds, and vitality density. Because the identify implies, they characteristic a stable electrolyte reasonably than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which comprise a liquid electrolyte.
Japan’s Ministry of Financial system, Commerce, and Trade (METI) has already permitted the deliberate building web site. It’ll price round 21.3 billion yen ($142 million) and was deemed as a “plan for guaranteeing provide of storage batteries.”
Idemitsu goals to mass produce all-solid state batteries in 2027 and 2028. The plant will be capable to produce 1,000 metric tons of lithium sulphide yearly.
The corporate’s govt officer Tetsuji Mishina informed the media (through Reuters) at its oil refinery in China, the place it should construct the brand new facility.
Mishina additionally mentioned Toyota could be its first buyer earlier than it plans to develop to others later. Toyota and Idemitsu have been working collectively since 2023 to develop stable electrolytes for the mass manufacturing of all-solid-state EV batteries.
The brand new plant is one other step in the best course, a part of Idemitsu and Toyota’s plans to commercialize all-solid-state EV batteries in 2027 to 2028.
In September, Toyota was granted a METI certification, which gave it the inexperienced gentle to construct the brand new batteries in Japan.
The approval comes as Japan seems to wean itself off dependence on China or South Korea for batteries and set up a secure native provide chain. Toyota and Idemitsu are amongst a number of main Japanese corporations investing a mixed $7 billion (1 trillion yen) in home battery manufacturing.
Electrek’s Take
Will Toyota truly launch EVs powered by all-solid-state batteries? They’ve been touting the brand new battery tech for years, nevertheless it appears to have made some progress not too long ago.
In the meantime, others are already getting a head begin. Mercedes-Benz started testing the “world’s first” manufacturing EV powered by solid-state batteries earlier this month.
Via its partnership with US-based Factorial Vitality and Mercedes AMG Excessive-Efficiency Powertrains (HPP), the corporate examined a barely modified EQS with over 621 miles of driving vary. Mercedes mentioned it was “the primary automotive powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the highway.”
Factorial is working with different main OEMs, together with Stellantis. Subsequent yr, Stellantis plans to launch a sequence of electrical Dodge Chargers powered by Factorials solid-state batteries.
Honda, Hyundai, and let’s not neglect international battery leaders CATL and BYD, are additionally racing to launch the promising new battery tech.
