Honda on Thursday unveiled what it calls an illustration manufacturing line for solid-state batteries, with goals to commercialize the expertise later this decade.
Positioned in Sakura Metropolis, in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, the 295,000-square-foot facility is meant to determine the method for eventual mass manufacturing, in addition to decide prices and a few remaining cell specs, Honda mentioned.
Building was accomplished this previous spring, and all essential tools has now been put in, based on the automaker. Honda plans to start out making cells in January 2025. That is nearly a yr later than the spring 2024 goal date Honda executives talked about when first publicly discussing the demonstration plant in 2022.
Honda solid-state battery manufacturing demonstration plant in Sakura Metropolis, Japan
Honda mentioned the manufacturing course of it plans to make use of relies on that of liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion cells, albeit with a roll-pressing step designed to extend the density of stable electrolyte layers that is distinctive to solid-state cells. This additionally will increase the diploma of interfacial contact between by the electrolyte and electrodes, based on Honda.
The automaker additionally claims to have consolidated or accelerated a number of different components of the manufacturing course of, together with bonding the optimistic and unfavorable electrodes, and hopes to reduce different related prices, together with by reducing vitality consumption.
Honda solid-state battery prototype
Honda goals to start out mass manufacturing of solid-state batteries within the second half of the 2020s, to be used “not solely in cars, however bikes and plane.” With this wider array of functions, Honda hopes to attain cheap economies of scale to make solid-state batteries financially viable.
Honda has been discussing solid-state batteries since at the very least 2021, on the time additionally saying that they would arrive later within the decade. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe instructed Inexperienced Automobile Experiences earlier this yr that solid-state batteries might allow a small inexpensive EV by 2030 because of decrease battery prices and better potential vary than present cell chemistries.
