Car maker Honda’s top boss says solid-state batteries are crucial for their Civic Type R model of electric vehicles (EVs).
Speaking to journalists recently in Tokyo, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe and Managing Officer Shinji Aoyama said as solid-state batteries are more powerful, lighter and able to run with simplified cooling systems, they may be the key to the Type R’s future. It is regarded as a performance vehicle.
A report on The Drive said Honda was not ready to switch the Type R car to electric just yet, but that solid-state batteries were the way to go.
“The solid-state battery will make the weight lighter,” Aoyama told reporters. “As far as how soon we can do that? It’s difficult to respond.”
Mibe explained the crucial role of this battery technology:
- they don’t easily overheat
- the cooling systems can be simplified in terms of size and weight.
“Compared to current EV batteries, this would help reduce the weight and would be effective for Type R and motorcycle applications as well. In the future, solid-state batteries will be the centre for electric cars and motorcycles that have soul,” Mibe added.
Last year, we reported that Honda planned to make solid-state li-ion batteries for all its new models from H2 of this year.
The company is launching a pilot production line in Spring 2024 costing 43 billion yen (approx. $300 million). It will focus purely on the development and manufacture of solid-state batteries.
