Toyota to mass produce all-solid-state batteries for BEVs with Idemitsu

MANILA: Toyota Motor Corporation has partnered with petroleum refinery firm Idemitsu Kosan Company to develop solid electrolyte mass production technologies and establish a supply chain for all-solid-state batteries for battery electric vehicles (BEV).

The multi-pathway approach of Toyota will be combined with the social implementation of “energy one-step ahead” and materials of Idemitsu. Idemitsu has been working on research and development on fundamental technologies for all-solid-state batteries since 2001, while Toyota started in 2006.

Sulfide solid electrolytes, which have been considered as a promising material for achieving high capacity and output for BEVs, are the focus of this partnership. They are adaptable and adhesive to other materials, making them ideal for battery mass production.

The first phase of the collaboration will cover the development of sulfide solid electrolytes and the preparation for a large pilot facility. In the next phase, Idemitsu will obtain mass production technologies for the large pilot facility, while Toyota will promote the development of all-solid-state batteries and BEVs in which the batteries are incorporated. The third and final phase will involve the study for future full-scale mass production and commercialization based on the outcome of the second phase.

In a presentation, Toyota Motor Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Koji Sato enumerated the benefits of solid-state batteries.

“An advantage of solid-state batteries is that electrolyte is solid. This allows ions, which convey electricity, to move faster, thus enabling shorter charging times, increased cruising ranges, and higher power output. Solid-state batteries are also characterized by being highly stable because they are resistant to changes in temperature and can robustly endure high temperatures and high voltages,” he said.

Toyota targets to release BEVs with all-solid-state batteries in the market by 2027 to 2028.

“Promoting decarbonization while protecting people's livelihoods is not something that can be achieved through the efforts of individual companies. Toyota Motor and Idemitsu Kosan will bring our technologies together to realize the commercialization of solid-state batteries. It is also our aim to make the technology obtained through this collaboration a global standard,” Idemitsu Kosan Company President and Representative Director Shunichi Kito stated.

Photos from Toyota Motor Corporation

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