Once every few years or so, a potential tech innovation comes along that stands to change the mobility industry as a whole. In the past, some of these innovations included electrification, hybrid systems, and hydrogen power.
Now, with EVs all the rage, lots of these tech advancements focus on batteries.
We’ve talked about quite a lot of battery tech here on RideApart, but solid-state batteries just have to be the hottest topic out there. For years, battery manufacturers have been coming up with the formula for a reliable and dependable solid-state battery, running test upon test to prove that the technology could indeed change the EV game.
So, what’s the deal with solid-state batteries and how can they revolutionize electric vehicles as we know it? Well, there are three main benefits: energy density, safety, and longevity.
Let’s start with energy density. Some solid-state batteries claim up to 100 percent more energy density than regular lithium-ion battery cells. In such a case, less literally means more, and the solution to lightweight, high-performing EVs might just be in solid-state battery tech.
This is particularly useful for smaller EVs like electric motorcycles and other powersports vehicles, where the packaging of the battery is a major concern.
Energy density aside, solid-state batteries are touted to be safer. It’s all in the name, really. Solid state means that there aren’t any liquid electrolytes sloshing around inside the battery, and so there’s no risk of leakage due to damage, and no risk of toxic gas emanating from the battery. Furthermore, solid-state batteries tend to have a higher heat tolerance and are more thermally stable.
Last but not least is longevity. Solid-state batteries are said to have a longer lifespan than regular lithium-ion batteries, with some able to be charged up to five times more than lithium-ion units. To put that into perspective, an EV equipped with a solid-state battery could last five times as long, requiring much less battery maintenance than its lithium-ion counterparts.
So yes, there are quite a few benefits. And given just how hefty the claims these batteries bring to the table, it can be easy to shrug them off as vaporware, as is the case with so many other tech developments in the EV space.
But it turns out that solid-state batteries are here. In fact, you can head over to Amazon and buy one for yourself.
As highlighted in an article by Jalopnik, solid-state battery tech is here, and it’s within your reach. Literally. The Yoshino Power Station may have absolutely nothing to do with EVs, but it’s clearly a step in the right direction when it comes to making solid-state batteries hit the mainstream.
YouTuber Matt Ferrell gives us a deep dive into the product, highlighting how it can be used as a reliable power source both for camping trips and emergencies. And while the benefits of solid-state batteries aren’t as evident in the small 330-watt unit that Matt reviewed, the benefits multiply as you go up in size.
The biggest Yoshino solid-state power station with a 4,000-watt power output weighs in at less than half of the competition.
Clearly, if you go even bigger, the weight savings become more apparent. If we scaled this up to EV applications, we could soon be seeing electric vehicles that are significantly lighter than they already are. Naturally, this doesn’t only improve battery efficiency and range, it also improves driving feel and overall performance.
With all that being said, it’ll still be at least a few more years until we see solid-state battery tech in commercially available EVs. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this is where the industry is headed.
What do you think? Are solid-state batteries really the turning point of EVs in the future?
