https://insideevs.com/news/768181/sk...on-beat-china/
You’re going to hear a lot about solid-state batteries this decade, long before you see them in an electric car you can actually drive. As frustrating as that sounds, groundbreaking battery tech takes years, sometimes decades, to move from lab to showroom.
But when it arrives, it could reshape the auto industry. South Korea’s SK On thinks that day will come.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, SK On’s research and development chief Park Kisoo struck an optimistic tone. “When the world of solid-state batteries arrives, it will definitely be first applied in pouch-type cells in which we already have a technological edge,” he said. “That could be a weapon that can help us beat China,” he added.
Automakers are aggressively chasing solid-state batteries, which replace the liquid electrolyte in traditional lithium-ion packs with a solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte can be made from polymer, sulfides, oxides, or ceramic-type materials. On paper, the gains are compelling. Solid-state EV batteries promise higher energy density, faster charging, longer lifespan and vastly improved thermal stability.
But SK On faces stiff competition. Chinese battery makers already lead in semi-solid-state technology, which battery experts consider as the bridge to all solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Nio EVs with semi-solid packs are already on Chinese roads. Last week, MG Motor said it will be the first automaker to put a semi-solid-state battery into an affordable, mass-market EV—the MG4.
Western carmakers are moving in as well. Mercedes-Benz has fitted U.S. startup Factorial’s semi-solid-state pack into an EQS sedan for testing. Stellantis plans to install a prototype Dodge Charger Daytona EV with a Factorial battery next year. BMW appears to be slightly ahead of the pack. It demonstrated an all-solid-state battery in an i7 test mule in Germany back in May.
Factorial is a US company, with a very strong South Korean presence, If you buy stock, this is the One.