Could Solid-State Batteries eliminate EV Range Anxiety?

Electric car owners tend to have range anxiety but it may no longer be an issue with solid-state batteries.

Range anxiety refers to the concern or fear that an electric vehicle driver may experience regarding the limited driving range of their vehicle and the availability of charging stations.

It stems from the idea that an EV might run out of battery power before reaching a charging station, leaving the driver stranded.

This is one of the reasons why some drivers might be put off from buying one.

But a scientific breakthrough could help facilitate the switch from conventional lithium-ion batteries to solid-state sodium batteries.

We explore this in more detail.

The Breakthrough

A team from Japan’s Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered a new process that could supercharge the transition to next-generation solid-state batteries capable of more than doubling the range of current EVs.

Solid-state batteries are made of materials that are far more abundant than their lithium-ion counterparts, however, until now mass production has proved difficult.

The researchers claim the newly discovered process could overcome this obstacle through the mass synthesis of a highly conductive electrolyte.

Professor Atsushi Sakuda said: “This newly developed process is useful for the production of almost all sodium-containing sulfide materials, including solid electrolytes and electrode active materials.

“Also, compared to conventional methods, this process makes it easier to obtain materials that display higher performance, so we believe it will become a mainstream process for the future development of materials for all-solid-state sodium batteries.”

The solid sulfide electrolyte has the world’s highest reported sodium ion conductivity – roughly 10 times higher than is required for commercial use.

Unlike the liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries, the solid electrolyte is not susceptible to bursting into flames when dropped or charged incorrectly.

The breakthrough could prove most promising for the electric vehicle sector, offering superior performance, reduced cost and enhanced sustainability.

They could also eliminate range anxiety by vastly improving the charging capacity of electric car batteries.

According to Toyota, solid-state batteries could offer a range of 745 miles, which is more than twice the range of electric vehicles currently on the market.

Charge times for these new batteries could be as short as 10 minutes.

The research was published in the scientific journal Energy Storage Materials, in a paper titled Utilising reactive polysulfides flux Na2Sx for the synthesis of sulfide solid electrolytes for all-solid-state sodium batteries.

Is the Battery Safe?

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University stated that solid-state batteries are not susceptible to bursting into flames when dropped or charged incorrectly.

However, the founder of CATL, the world’s largest supplier of lithium-ion batteries, has labelled solid-state batteries as impractical and unsafe.

CEO Dr Robin Zeng said solid-state battery technology was unreliable, lacked durability and posed unsolved safety issues in its current guise.

Chinese-based CATL is the world’s largest producer of lithium-ion batteries, with a 36.8% share of the global supply in 2023, ahead of BYD’s 15.8%.

Solid-state batteries are seen as the cure for ending range anxiety and are also said to be cheaper than lithium-ion batteries.

But according to Dr Zeng, the promises provide false hope after years of research and development failed to deliver a viable solid-state battery.

He said: “We fully support solid-state, but I have been investing in this for 10 years.

“I watch the development people working on solid-state almost every month, so I know all the progress, and somehow we still have these showstoppers.”

Toyota has received a lot of criticism for its slow introduction of battery-electric vehicles compared to other manufacturers.

However, it is regarded as a leader in the development of solid-state battery tech, which it has pledged to introduce to showrooms sometime in 2027 or 2028.

Toyota only released its first electric car – the Toyota BZ4X SUV, which uses lithium-ion batteries made by CATL – to Australian showrooms in February 2024.

The companies entered a partnership in 2019 for CATL’s first lithium-ion batteries.

In 2023, Toyota confirmed a tie-up with Japanese oil and petroleum company, Idemitsu Kosan, to develop solid-state technology.

The resource company’s recent announcement included assertions about successfully developing a dependable method for producing lithium sulfide, crucial for making solid-state technology viable for widespread use in vehicles.

However, Dr Zeng said that achieving the feasibility of solid-state batteries requires a different kind of chemistry, involving the use of pure lithium metal for the anode electrode.

Even with this approach, challenges arise.

Dr Zeng highlighted the drawbacks of subjecting solid-state batteries to extreme pressure and noted the repeated expansion they undergo during recharging.

He said: “It cannot last many [charging] cycles, maybe 10 cycles.

“So how can you make it commercially viable?”

Lithium from a solid-state battery would also react with oxygen if it broke apart in an accident, posing a significant safety risk to occupants, emergency services and other road users.

Dr Zeng added: “So people push on this, but I tell them CATL already spent 10 years [researching to make solid-state commercially viable].”

Dr Zeng pointed to sodium-ion battery technology CATL has been working on since 2021 as the next advancement in electric car development.

Sodium-ion batteries use ‘semi-solid’ materials to double the potential range of lithium-ion battery packs but without the volatility and cost.

The 1st Electric Car equipped with Solid-State Batteries

Manufactured by Chinese brand IM Motors, the IM L6 is the first electric car that has a version equipped with solid-state batteries.

It has just been put on sale.

The battery has a capacity of 130kWh and promises a range of 621 miles.

As well as the mileage, the car’s price is also causing a stir.

Available in three versions, the Standard Max costs £25,300 while the High Performance costs £33,000.

The most expensive variant is the Lightyear Max, which is powered by solid-state batteries. It costs £36,300.

At the launch event, IM Motors announced that the semi-conductor battery had a 900-volt architecture.

Thanks to this, the battery, called Lightyear, can be recharged at powers of up to 400 kW, giving a range of up to 249 miles in just 12 minutes when parked at a charging point.

IM Motors announced that the battery is actually a semiconductor battery, although it still uses an electrolyte that combines a fluid with a solid component.

This would suggest that it is closer to the 150 kWh battery used by Nio, which defines it as semi-solid.

The potential of solid-state batteries to eliminate electric vehicle range anxiety is a promising prospect that holds significant implications for the future of transportation.

With their higher energy density, improved safety, and faster charging capabilities, solid-state batteries represent a transformative technology that could revolutionise the EV industry.

While challenges such as production scalability and cost remain, ongoing research and development efforts are steadily bridging these gaps.

As advancements continue and adoption increases, solid-state batteries may indeed emerge as a key solution in eliminating EV range anxiety and accelerating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles worldwide.