Toyota is reportedly working on a game-changing solid-state battery for electric vehicles (EVs). According to Japanese financial newspaper “Nikkei,” Toyota plans to introduce the solid-state battery technology as early as next year, potentially making it the first automaker to showcase a vehicle powered by such a battery. The solid-state battery is expected to offer a range of over 500 miles on a single charge and can recharge fully in just 10 minutes.
However, there’s a catch. Toyota intends to initially deploy the solid-state batteries in hybrid vehicles, not fully electric vehicles. Toyota’s Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Toyota Research Institute, Gil Pratt, explained that the decision to use the solid-state batteries in hybrids is based on cost considerations. Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in EVs, are still expensive compared to internal combustion engines. By incorporating solid-state batteries into hybrids, Toyota aims to keep the cost of production vehicles low while still benefiting from the advantages of the new battery technology.
Toyota’s approach is to learn from using solid-state technology in hybrid vehicles before transitioning to fully electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries operate differently from lithium-ion batteries in terms of charging and discharging. By utilizing hybrids as a testing ground, Toyota can gather valuable customer feedback and continue to refine the solid-state battery technology.
While Toyota’s ambition to introduce solid-state batteries by 2024 is commendable, it’s worth noting that engineers have faced challenges in producing these batteries at scale and an affordable cost. Toyota aims to change that by the mid-2020s. In the meantime, it’s worthwhile to understand hybrid technology and its history. Hybrid vehicles have been around for more than a century, with the first hybrid automobile being developed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche in 1898. Toyota made a significant breakthrough in hybrid vehicles with the introduction of the Toyota Prius to the public in 1997, leading to a resurgence of interest in hybrids in the automotive industry.
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