Ion Storage Systems, announced on 10 March 2026 the successful customer qualification of its Cornerstone Cell performance. This marks Ion as the first US solid-state battery technology company to achieve commercial customer qualification. This comes after the company’s announcement in August 2025 that it had shipped sample cells to leading industrial, consumer electronic, and automotive companies.
“This is a defining milestone for Ion and for the solid-state battery industry,” said Jorge Diaz Schneider, chief executive officer of Ion Storage Systems. “We are the first US company to have passed performance qualification with our customer using our Cornerstone cells and plan production to start here in Maryland. We are excited about the new technologies we are unlocking and look forward to talking to more customers, helping them innovate without the restrictions of lithium-ion batteries.”
Ion’s chief technology officer, Dr. Greg Hitz, said: “Bringing a solid-state, anodeless battery out of the lab and into the real world is a company-defining moment for Ion. We are validating the ‘Ion way’ by delivering a 100% solution for our customer and enabling an application with otherwise unmet requirements. Our unique combination of high-temperature stability and performance characteristics stands alone in the battery market. This achievement is a testament to our team’s persistence, focus, and commitment to full customer solutions. I am immensely proud of the work that got us here.”
Ion Storage Systems’ strategy is not to pursue EVs
Diaz Schneider said: “Our strategy of commercialising in applications where our technology delivers immediate value, versus pursuing EVs first, is paying off. We are following the successful footsteps of lithium-battery technology: starting in new, innovative, high-value devices and growing to larger applications in the future.”
Ion’s Beltsville, Maryland facility, currently undergoing expansion, will initially meet this demand. Production is expected to begin in 2026 thanks to a new sintering furnace installation. However, future production demand will require scaled offsite production with planning already underway.
