Electric vehicles are clearly the future of the automotive industry, as brands have essentially all begun their march towards carbon neutrality. However, range anxiety and slow charging have all been barriers to the average person making the switch to an electric vehicle. However, solid state batteries (SSBs) may be the solution.
In the race to produce functioning solid-state batteries, Honda has recently made some massive breakthroughs which may have put them ahead of the pack. While other brands may have gotten a head start, the Japanese automaker has proven why they are a leader in this industry.
Exploring Honda’s innovative production methods and the opening of a new facility, we explore how the automaker could be leaps ahead of some of its direct competition. There innovative methods could pave the way to EVs with solid state batteries on our roads well before the end of the decade.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including TopSpeed.
Some other players may have beaten Honda to the punch initially when it comes to solid state batteries, but the Japanese automaker has certainly taken the lead with their latest step. The brand has built a functioning demo which showcases how a fully-fledged production line could build solid state batteries.
At the end of last year, Honda announced that they had opened up a demonstration production line which can be used to produce solid state battery cells. This line is located within Honda's research and development facility in Sakura City Japan, taking up roughly 300,000 square feet of the facility.
The cells produced by this line are Honda's own design. They are something that the automaker has been investing tons of time and money in for a long amount of time. Solid state cells have been talked about in the realm of electric cars for decades, but it has taken billions of dollars and a ton of time to get them anywhere near production.
While there have been a few automakers that have issued statements about how they are gearing up to produce solid state batteries for their electric vehicles, Honda is the only one with proof of concept. This demonstration line shows how close they are to full-scale production.
Honda's announcement came with an exciting date as well. According to a previous announcement, they would have already begun production on these solid state batteries, as they were set to start in January of this year. Mass production has been the biggest issue to solve with SSBs, and Honda seems to be the only company producing them now.
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Honda has consistently been one of the world's leaders when it comes to innovation in the world of engines and powertrains. This is why it makes so much sense that their breakthroughs in the segment of electric vehicles are so revolutionary. The processes that they use bring us ever closer to functional solid state batteries in EVs.
One of the keys to how Honda got where they are today is the development of the roll-pressing technique. Using this technique, battery cells are, simply put, stamped together using a large press. This improves energy efficiency by increasing the density of solid electrolyte layers.
Where normal batteries utilize a paste or liquid to store their energy, whereas solid state batteries store their power in a solid form, usually a powder. The trouble is that this leaves tiny gaps of air, which is obviously not good for electrical conduction as it causes arching. By rolling batteries together, this air is literally squished out meaning that the batteries solid electrolyte makes near perfect contact with the electrode.
Those who have been keeping up to date with the evolution in solid state battery technology will have no doubt heard about dendrites. Essentially, as lithium separates from the other compounds inside a battery, it forms into small crystals that grow over time, destroying a battery from the inside. They have been a massive issue when it comes to the longevity of batteries.
Honda has come up to a solution of sorts to this problem. They have developed a plastic polymer layer that will act as a barrier, preventing the lithium inside the battery from touching the electrode. While this sounds like an overly simple solution, it could add years to the lifespan of a battery.
