Some time ago, foreign media reported that the electric car brand Fisker had applied for a patent for a solid-state lithium battery. This battery claims to have a maximum range of 800 kilometers and can be fully charged in just one minute. The news quickly sparked excitement among many people, as it seemed to solve two major issues: long battery life and fast charging.
FOX TV even invited Fisker for an interview. According to Fisker, they plan to showcase this technology at CES in January, with mass production expected by 2023. They also mentioned that the cost will be only one-third of traditional lithium batteries.
In mid-2017, Fisker released the next-generation Emotion model, which used a lithium battery with a range of 640 km and could gain 200 km of range in just 9 minutes. A little earlier, in 2016, Fisker unveiled the Emotion concept, featuring a striking butterfly-shaped door design against a sunset backdrop. At that time, it was rumored to use a graphene battery, offering a range of 640 km—making it the first luxury electric vehicle to exceed 480 km on a single charge.
At the time, Tesla’s Model S 100D wasn’t available yet, and the 90D model only had a range of 450 km.
â–² Fisker Emotion
So, what exactly is a solid-state battery? What kind of technology does it represent?
In simple terms, a solid-state battery is a type of battery that contains no gas or liquid—everything is in a solid state. While most people are familiar with lithium-ion batteries, the term "solid-state lithium-ion battery" is often used as a representative of all-solid-state batteries (though other types like solid-state lithium-sulfur are also being developed).
This article will explore all aspects of solid-state lithium-ion batteries, commonly referred to as solid-state batteries. A typical lithium-ion battery consists of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, an electrolyte, and a structural casing. The electrolyte allows ions to move through the battery, enabling current flow.
Electrolyte technology is one of the core components of lithium batteries and is also a high-margin part of the industry.
Schematic diagram of lithium ion battery
Lithium ions (Li+) travel through the electrolyte inside the battery.
However, many users may have noticed that their lithium batteries tend to swell over time. In extreme cases, there have been incidents of battery explosions, leading to serious consequences for both manufacturers and battery companies.
Additionally, the operating temperature range of conventional lithium-ion batteries is limited. When temperatures exceed 40°C, the lifespan of the battery decreases significantly, and safety becomes a concern. That’s why Tesla’s Model S has a strict battery cooling system.
In fact, many of these safety concerns stem directly from the organic liquid electrolytes used in today’s batteries.
To address these issues and improve energy density, researchers and industries are now developing solid-state batteries. These replace the separator and liquid electrolyte in traditional lithium-ion batteries with a solid electrolyte material.
So, what are the main factors affecting the safety of ordinary lithium-ion batteries?
1. Electrode material properties: High current operation can cause lithium dendrites, which may pierce the separator and cause short circuits.
2. The electrolyte is an organic liquid, which is prone to side reactions, oxidation, gas generation, and combustion at high temperatures.
3. Battery quality varies, especially from smaller manufacturers, whose safety performance may not meet standards.
4. Poor battery management systems can lead to overcharging or over-discharging, posing a risk.
(Flexible all-solid battery that still works safely after being cut)
If solid-state battery technology is adopted, the issues related to points 1 and 2 can be largely resolved. The maximum operating temperature can increase from 40°C to higher levels, allowing the battery to function across a wider temperature range and expanding its applications.
Safety is one of the key drivers behind the development of solid-state batteries. Let's explore the advantages of solid-state batteries.
**Advantages of Solid-State Batteries**
**1. Compact and Thin Design**
The volumetric energy density is a crucial parameter for batteries. In fields such as consumer electronics and electric vehicles, a higher energy density means smaller batteries for the same weight.
Many electronic devices have limited space, and batteries often take up nearly a third of the volume and weight. Consumers and manufacturers alike want to increase battery capacity without compromising size or portability. Lithium cobaltate (LCO) batteries remain popular due to their high energy density and compact size.
In traditional lithium-ion batteries, separators and electrolytes make up about 40% of the volume and 25% of the mass. Replacing them with solid electrolytes (organic or ceramic materials) reduces the distance between electrodes, allowing for thinner batteries. This makes solid-state batteries ideal for miniaturization.
Moreover, some solid-state batteries made using physical or chemical vapor deposition (PVD/CVD) can be as thin as tens of micrometers, making them suitable for integration into MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). This ability to create ultra-small batteries is a unique feature of solid-state technology, something traditional lithium-ion batteries struggle to achieve.
(Current proportion of (a) volume and (b) mass of each component in a lithium-ion battery)
Another challenge is that many nanomaterials have a large specific surface area but low bulk density, leading to low volumetric energy density. This makes them unsuitable for industrial applications. As a result, researchers often avoid reporting this parameter.
**2. Flexibility**
Solid-state batteries can be further optimized to become flexible, opening up new possibilities for wearable devices and other flexible electronics.
Even brittle ceramic materials can become flexible when made very thin (less than a millimeter). This makes solid-state batteries highly flexible, capable of withstanding hundreds or thousands of bends without significant performance loss.
Flexible batteries are a key trend in the development of next-generation electronics, especially wearables. Solid-state batteries are seen as a promising solution for this growing market.
(Flexible solid-state battery with a laminated structure from KAIST, South Korea)
Beyond flexibility, functionalized solid-state batteries offer even more potential. They can be made transparent, stretchable (up to 300% elongation), or integrated with photovoltaic cells to create power generation-storage devices. These innovations suggest a bright future for solid-state batteries.
**3. Enhanced Safety**
While no battery is 100% safe, solid-state batteries reduce many of the risks associated with traditional lithium-ion batteries. Their solid electrolyte eliminates the possibility of leakage, swelling, and thermal runaway.
**4. Higher Energy Density**
Using solid electrolytes allows the use of metal lithium as the anode, reducing material usage and increasing overall energy density. Additionally, new high-performance electrode materials can be used without compatibility issues.
Laboratory results show that solid-state batteries can reach 300–400 Wh/kg, compared to 100–220 Wh/kg for traditional lithium-ion batteries. This improvement could revolutionize our daily lives, moving us from “one day per charge†to “two days per charge.â€
**Challenges Ahead**
Despite their promise, solid-state batteries face several challenges. Interface impedance caused by point contact between solid electrolytes and electrodes needs to be addressed. Also, solid-state batteries are more prone to cracking during charge/discharge cycles, and their cycle life is still lower than that of liquid batteries.
**High Cost and Complex Manufacturing**
Currently, solid-state batteries are expensive to produce. Organic and inorganic electrolyte systems are costly, and processes like CVD/PVD are slow and expensive. Most solid-state batteries are small, suitable only for portable devices.
(Typical all-solid-state battery, only 1.0mAh, suitable for small electronics)
Moreover, the technology is not yet mature, and few companies can scale production. Many challenges remain before solid-state batteries become widely available.
**Fast Charging Still Unachievable**
Current solid-state batteries have poor rate performance, with high internal resistance and voltage drop at high discharge rates. Fast charging remains a distant goal.
Some solid-state batteries on the market don’t work well at room temperature. For example, a fleet of taxis in France uses solid-state batteries with an energy density of 260 Wh/kg, better than standard lithium-ion batteries.
**Still Not Commercially Viable**
According to Menaheim Anderman, a senior expert in electric vehicle batteries, solid-state batteries for EVs are still in the research phase. Commercialization is uncertain, and costs are likely to be high.
Toyota claims its solid-state batteries can charge twice as fast as lithium batteries, but performance is highly temperature-dependent. True fast charging may require higher temperatures.
Many industry experts remain skeptical about Toyota’s plans, believing that mass production of solid-state batteries is still far off.
These statements align with Elon Musk’s comments that solid-state battery technology is still in development.
**Industry Players in Solid-State Battery Development**
Several startups and traditional giants are investing in solid-state battery research. Companies like Toyota, Panasonic, Samsung, Mitsubishi, and Chinese firm CATL are actively exploring this field.
Bolloré in France uses polymer electrolytes, while Samsung uses sulfide electrolytes. British entrepreneur James Dyson acquired Sakti3 in 2015, and Bosch acquired Seeo in 2015, forming joint ventures with Japanese companies.
CATL also announced early-stage research into solid-state batteries in 2016, acknowledging the need for new manufacturing processes and equipment.
In summary, solid-state batteries are a major direction in battery research, but challenges remain. Conductivity, rate performance, production efficiency, and cost control are still areas needing improvement. Despite this, the potential impact on the electric vehicle industry could be transformative, much like the Prius did for hybrid cars.
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