To operate in a battery without parasitically dropping power output due to their high resistance, the ceramic electrolyte must be thin, which means more fragility….This is a very tough problem.”

I know that ceramics are fragile and brittle. I haven’t seen anything from QuantumScape in the way of compelling evidence. He said via email, “Remarkable claims require remarkable proof. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry at MIT and a longtime battery researcher, was asked if QuantumScape and other solid-state companies are justified in predicting the start of commercialization by mid-decade. Some experts see 2030 as the breakthrough year for solid-state commercialization, but others are skeptical.ĭonald Sadoway, the John F. Nissan is targeting 2028 for its first EVs with solid-state batteries, and General Motors is working with Honda to develop affordable EVs (below $30,000) that could use solid state. “Solid-state is not going to be the magic bullet solving degradation, but it could be a factor that helps.” So I’m not sure how representative that would be.” What damages batteries during fast charging is heat, and if you’ve got one cell on a bench, fast charging and then discharging, you can control the temperature for that very well. Sam Abuelsamid, principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights, said in an interview about the solid-state battery claims, “It depends to some degree how you conduct the testing. Solid Power said in an email that it is anticipating silicon EV cell production in 2025, with vehicles using those batteries coming out a year later in 2026. The company said fast charging every fifth cycle “is more in line with consumer behavior.” Solid Power also expects its lithium metal anode solid-state batteries to last 369,000 miles and more than 1000 cycles.

Solid Power tested its high content silicon anode cells with a regimen of fast charging every fifth cycle, and found 81 percent capacity retention after 650 cycles. BMW and Ford are major investors in Colorado-based solid-state company Solid Power, which claims a 50 to 80 percent increase in battery energy density over conventional li-ion. It’s a real phenomenon, that maybe solid-state can address. QuantumScape says it is “unlocking the ability to repeatedly fast charge over hundreds of cycles without incurring significant losses to discharge energy retention.” QuantumScapeĪutoweek wrote in April about battery degradation in today’s EVs when they reach high mileage, such as a 200,000-mile Tesla Model S with just 100 miles of effective range. And they retain, according to QuantumScape Chief Marketing Officer Asim Hussain, “well over 80 percent of their capacity at a variety of temperatures.” These temperatures ranged from 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit) to 45 Centigrade (113 Fahrenheit), the company said.

The San Jose, California-based QuantumScape recently released data indicating that its battery cells with ceramic solid-electrolyte separators (made from what it said are “earth-abundant materials”) had gone through 400 cycles of 10 to 80 percent fast charging (the equivalent of covering 160,000 miles). But commercialization is finally approaching, the companies say, and along with advantages over traditional lithium-ion in safety, weight and energy density, add a potential ability to fast-charge regularly with reduced battery damage. Solid-state batteries, with no liquid electrolyte, have been (like fleets of hydrogen cars) just around the corner for a long time. Some analysts question the robustness of solid-state batteries, especially given their dependance on ceramic electrolytes.QuantumScape data indicates its solid-state batteries-after 400 cycles of 10 to 80 percent fast charging (the equivalent of covering 160,000 miles)-retain over 80 percent of their capacity.Solid-state batteries hold a lot of promises for EVs, of reduced complexity, increased safety, and less degradation when repeatedly subjected to fast charging.

Solid state battery charger