Car maker Toyota outlined plans for new solid-state batteries which it reckons will result in a cruising range of 1,000 km in its next battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to be introduced in 2026.
The extended range will also be the result of vehicle efficiency improvements such as aerodynamics and weight reduction, it said.
At a briefing session in Tokyo on Tuesday, BEV Factory President Takero Kato said the company created an organisation in May to work on the next generation of batteries. It is aiming for mass production in 2027-28.
His presentation was one of several.
Kato said the company expects to sell 1.7 million electric vehicles (EVs) in 2030, almost half its total output.
The company said it is developing a “popularised” square battery that will be 20% cheaper than the current bZ4X prismatic battery and which can be charged in 20 minutes (SoC 10–80%). The lithium iron phosphate bipolar structure battery, which has been used in Toyota’s Aqua and Crown hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), will be applied to BEVs from 2026–27, it said.
It is aiming for a 20% increase in cruising range and 40% reduction in cost, with quick recharging of 30 minutes or less (SoC 10–80%).
A high performance version of the battery will be available in 2027–28. It will have a bipolar structure and a high nickel cathode.
The company said having discovered a technological breakthrough that overcomes the long-standing challenge of battery durability, it is reviewing the introduction of solid-state batteries to HEVs and accelerating their development for BEVs. It aims to commercialise in 2027–28.
The technology, it said, will deliver a 20% improvement in the 1,000 km range seen from 2026. It will have an even quicker charge time of 10 minutes or less (SoC 10–80%). That would mean a BEV would have a driving range of up to 1,200 km.
