Electric cars are about to get a whole lot better
… and it’s not because of Tesla
OK, that Tesla part is pretty controversial, if it wasn’t for Elon Musk’s Tesla, everyone would likely be thinking of the Prius and making fun of it to this day. The Model S brought in a whole new perspective on the industry, and with it, an inciting incident for change.
This is important, as electric vehicles have so much more potential for energy, meaning cars could travel further, while being better for the environment.
Where are we now?
Many of the draw backs with electric cars have to come with the limitations of existing battery technology. This is a humble pill to swallow as Lithium-ion batteries have taken our computers from our desks, to our laps, then to our pockets.
Lithium-ion batteries consist of a multi stage process where energy is extracted from solid lithium via ions into a liquid electrolyte which takes up most of the space in a lithium-ion battery.
Like all energy storage, lithium-ion carries risks. While charging, stalagmite like dendrites are formed, these pierce barriers which can cause fires. Even safely these dendrites affect the performance and efficiency of the battery.
Attempts to push this technology further via faster charging and smaller barriers have lead to failure, remember how Samsung phones were banned from planes, this is why.
Enter the Sci-Fi reality.
With a clear demand for a more energy dense battery, inventors have been looking to Solid State Batteries.
Remember the Lithium-ion battery from earlier, solid state batteries are able to operate without many of the challenges. As all components are solid, fewer safety systems are needed and the materials are more energy dense, making the battery more compact.
Solid state batteries currently have a large number of different designs and materials, which opens up more space to innovation than is found with lithium-ion. Estimates show that solid state batteries are capable of having 2.5x to 8x the energy density of existing lithium-ion batteries.
Not only will this technology allow cars to go further, it will allow them to be charged faster, estimates predict a 0–80% charge in less than 15 minutes.
This means a battery could be 8x smaller and go the same distance as an existing car, this will provide customers like you and me with so many more options than are currently on the market.
Not only that, but about 30% of the cost of existing batteries comes from the complicated manufacturing processes and additional 60% coming from the materials used. Solid state batteries can be manufactured more safely and easily leading to reduced cost, and can be made without expensive materials such as Lithium and Cobalt.
How long do I have to wait?
Estimates for this technology peg it at 2023 at the earliest, but more realistically by 2025. Like with any first generation of technology, it’s likely to be extremely expensive at first, being limited to luxurious cars like the Model S or Porsche Taycan, or more affordable hybrids due to the smaller batteries, like the aforementioned Prius or even BMW i8.
Having said that, Toyota is going to be promoting shuttles at the 2020 Olympics which are supposed to be using this technology.
Volkswagen and QuantumScape seem to be closest to the finish line, with Toyota and Kyoto University just behind, with Volkswagen slated to finalize plans for a pilot factory this year.
