BMW is now testing EVs with all-solid-state batteries, the ‘holy grail’ of EV battery tech

The first BMW EVs powered by all-solid-state batteries are now on the road for testing. BMW used an i7 to test the “holy grail” of EV battery tech, promising longer driving range at a lower cost.

BMW tests first EVs with all-solid-state batteries

BMW hit a milestone on Monday after completing its first on-road tests using Solid Power’s all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cells.

Often called the “holy grail” of EV battery technology, ASSBs promise significantly higher energy density than current batteries. Since they can pack higher energy density into a smaller space, all-solid-state batteries have the potential to boost driving range at a lower cost.

The i7 test vehicle is based on BMW’s current Gen 5 architecture, using new prismatic cells in modules. To integrate Solid Power’s ASSB cells, BMW modified the platform using new module concepts.

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BMW and Solid Power have been working together since 2022 to advance the new EV battery tech. In December 2022, BMW revealed plans to license Solid Power’s tech for a new solid cell prototype line at its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf.

The German automaker will continue to test sulfide-based electrolytes in solid-state battery packs over the next few months.

BMW follows Mercedes-Benz, which announced in February it had put “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” through its partnership with US-based Factorial Energy.

Mercedes used a modified EQS, fitted with solid-state batteries. With an expected 40% weight savings compared to current Li-ion batteries, Factorial aims to unlock over 600 miles of driving range.

The milestone also comes after Martin Schuster, BMW Group’s vice president of next-generation battery tech, told Autocar in February that solid-state batteries were still too expensive and that current lithium-ion batteries have “a long way to go.”

Electrek’s Take

German automakers are not the only ones advancing the promising new battery tech. Global battery leaders CATL and BYD are also expected to launch EVs with all-solid-state batteries over the next few years.

Sun Huajun, the CTO of BYD’s battery business (Shenzhen BYD Lithium Battery Co), said earlier this year that the company expects its first EVs with all-solid-state batteries to arrive in 2027. Production will be limited for the first two years, but by 2030, BYD expects ASSBs to enter the mass market.

In the initial phase, BYD will use a sulfide-based solution in some of its higher-end models. Like BYD, CATL reportedly plans to begin production of all-solid-state EV batteries in 2027, but in small volumes.

Several others, including Hyundai, Nissan, Stellantis, Toyota, and Honda, are racing to develop the next generation of EV batteries.

Which will be the first to launch all-solid-state EV batteries on a mass scale? CATL and BYD already lead the market by a wide margin, but others are quickly advancing with on-road testing. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: BMW Group