Toyota joins race to try and bring solid-state batteries to mass production

Toyota Motor Company is the latest automaker delving into solid-state battery technology, vowing to mass-produce the safer and more energy dense cells in the next four years. In typical Toyota fashion, the Japanese automaker continues to smell its own farts, declaring that it and its new battery partner Idemitsu already “lead the world” in solid-state battery material development. Slow down there, guys…

Toyota Motor Company, which is hilariously describing itself as on a multi-pathway approach to promoting BEV development, is suddenly touting its solid-state battery development, which has been in the works as far back as 2006.

That’s interesting to hear, given the Japanese automaker’s publicly announced doubt in EV adoption during that time span, although it has recently changed its tune about building BEVs. It’s almost like they peaked outside their of gassy, hybrid-powered bubble and noticed everyone else is going electric. Weird!

In all seriousness, Toyota has taken a Dom Toretto-style drift into BEV development, quickly refocusing its resources and assembly lines to produce a new line of all electric vehicles and… compete with Tesla? Good luck…

Although it’s been off to a rocky start in the EV world, Toyota does remain one of the largest automakers on the planet, and has the resources to accelerate EV production quicker than most of its competitors. Toyota probably should have started in 2006 alongside the solid-state battery research, but hey, better late than never.

Today, the automaker announced a new partnership with fellow Japanese company Idemitsu Kosan to bring viable solid-state batteries to full-scale production by 2027.

Today’s partnership announcement follows a joint press conference held by both companies in Japan today, which we’ve embedded for you below. Toyota has paired with Idemitsu, whom it says has been performing research and development of solid-state batteries since 2001.

This particular battery collaboration focuses on sulfide solid electrolytes, which Toyota describes as a promising material in offering high capacity and output for future BEVs, thanks to their softness and adhesiveness to other materials.

The new partners state they have already established a task force consisting of dozens… yes dozens of people to help the venture reach mass battery production. That plan of attack will consist of a detailed three-phase plan:

• Phase 1
  • Development of sulfide solid electrolytes and preparation for a large pilot facility
• Phase 2
  • Mass production using a large pilot facility (rendering seen above)
    • Idemitsu will promote sulfide solid electrolyte manufacturing and obtain mass production technology
    • Toyota will promote development of both solid-state batteries and BEV development in which the batteries are incorporated, ensuring market launch of BEVs with the technology in 2027-28
• Phase 3
  • Study of future full-scale mass production

Toyota states that Idemistu is currently increasing the capacity of its small pilot facility and is moving forward with construction of a large pilot facility that will eventually enable commercialization of the solid-state batteries in 2027.

You can learn more about Toyota’s plan of attack to commercialize solid-state batteries in the full hour-and-45-minute presentation below: