Capital frantically deploys solid-state batteries: but the industrial chain is imperfect and various technical problems remain to be solved
Recently, solid-state battery company Huineng Technology announced the completion of a new round of financing of 326 million US dollars; solid-state battery company Weilan New Energy received an investment of about 500 million yuan, with a project valuation of 5 billion yuan; Stellantis and Daimler announced investment in solid-state battery startups FactorialEnergy... The popularity of solid-state batteries continues to rise, becoming an investment outlet for the new energy vehicle industry.
Automakers and battery companies scramble to develop
It is understood that solid-state batteries replace the electrolyte and separator with solid-state batteries, which can increase the energy density of existing lithium-ion batteries from about 300Wh/kg to more than 500Wh/kg, and overcome problems such as poor battery stability and low charging efficiency.
At present, mainstream car companies and battery companies are scrambling to develop solid-state batteries. For example, in 2018, Volkswagen invested US100 million in QuantumScape, an American power lithium-ion battery company, to become the largest shareholder, and established a joint venture to develop solid-state batteries, which is expected to be mass-produced after 2023; BMW plans to start using 100AH solid-state batteries for vehicles starting next year. Regulatory-level standard testing and vehicle integration, it plans to launch a prototype vehicle using solid-state batteries by 2025, and will implement solid-state battery technology in mass-produced vehicles by 2030; Hyundai and Kia recently jointly announced the signing of an agreement with FactorialEnergy to promote solid-state batteries. Standardized production of batteries; on November 29, Nissan announced the launch of electric vehicle models equipped with all-solid-state batteries by fiscal year 2028...
In terms of battery companies, LG New Energy plans to commercialize all-solid-state batteries from 2025 to 2027; Samsung SDI plans to develop large-scale all-solid-state batteries and all-solid-state battery prototype products by 2025, and mass-produce them in 2027; Ganfeng Lithium Industry said , the first-generation 200 million Wh solid-state battery pilot line was successfully put into production... Car companies and battery companies are enthusiastic about investing in solid-state batteries, and some results have come out.
"It is difficult to achieve industrialization within 10 years"
Solid-state batteries have significant advantages, but large-scale applications cannot be achieved in a short period of time.
Wu Hui, general manager of the Research Department of Ivey Economic Research Institute, told reporters: "Solid-state batteries are the development trend of the power lithium-ion battery industry, but some technical problems cannot be solved at present, and it is difficult to achieve industrialization within 10 years. For example, solid-state batteries are solid-state batteries. Solid interface, large internal resistance, low electrical conductivity, there is no good solution." There are three mainstream technical routes for solid-state battery electrolytes - oxides, sulfides and polymers, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Yole Développement, a French market research company, pointed out that the key to solid-state battery applications is to find suitable electrolyte materials, and all current solutions have problems with ionic conductivity, battery life and safety.
"If the technical problems cannot be solved, the energy density advantages of solid-state batteries will not be reflected." Wu Hui said frankly.
Wu Hui further pointed out: "Actually, the 'solid-state batteries' that car companies are preparing to install are semi-solid batteries with a small amount of electrolyte." It is understood that semi-solid batteries belong to the transitional technology from liquid to solid-state batteries. For example, NIO previously announced a 150kWh solid-state battery product with a single energy density of 360Wh/kg, and the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) cruising range of the ET7 exceeds 1,000 kilometers. The company explained that although the battery is described as a solid-state battery, it is actually a semi-solid-state battery that still requires an electrolyte and a separator.
In addition, the complex process of solid-state batteries and the lack of industrial chains have pushed up production costs. But at the same time, some research institutions believe that if solid-state batteries are mass-produced, their cost will be 40 percent of that of lithium-ion batteries. "There will be a process of cost reduction after the industrialization of solid-state batteries, but the premise is industrialization. In the future, the cost parity of electric vehicles and fuel vehicles can be achieved through the application of solid-state batteries." Wu Hui believes.
European, American, Japanese and Korean companies start faster
The market research institute SNEResearch estimates that by 2030, the global demand for solid-state batteries is expected to be close to 500GWh; by 2025, the global market space for solid-state batteries is expected to reach 6 billion yuan, of which my country's solid-state battery market space is expected to reach 3 billion yuan and 200 by 2030. billion. The Huaan Securities Industry Research Report pointed out that solid-state batteries have become an important breakthrough for some non-traditional battery companies to enter the lithium battery industry.
my country is the world's largest new energy vehicle market. With the advent of the TWh era, solid-state batteries have become a must for the company. The "New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021-2035)" issued in November last year clearly proposed to accelerate the research and development and industrialization of solid-state power lithium-ion battery technology.
Wu Hui said: "Solid-state batteries are the next-generation technology direction of power lithium-ion batteries. Whether car companies or battery companies, they must be deployed, occupy the commanding heights, and first solve technical problems such as conductivity."
It is understood that as the car company with the most patents in the field of solid-state batteries, Toyota's solid-state batteries have begun to be tested in prototype vehicles. Recently, Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that although my country is in a leading position in the supply of power lithium-ion batteries, companies in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea have taken the lead in the research and development of solid-state batteries, while China is still in the stage of "separate policy".
Industry insiders believe that the cost of the solid-state battery that came out in the early stage is relatively high, and the new cost can only be offset by matching it with high-end models. At the same time, in order to overcome the difficulties faced by the commercialization of solid-state batteries, technology developers, equipment suppliers, battery manufacturers and OEMs need to work together to further strengthen technical support and fill the supply chain gap. In addition, the national level should also improve policy guidance and encourage the cultivation of advantageous projects.
