BMW to produce solid-state EV batteries

The BMW Group will develop and manufacture solid-state electric vehicle batteries in Germany thanks to an expanded alliance with Solid Power.

The major US solid-state battery-maker has granted the Bavarian car brand a research and development licence to its cell design and manufacturing knowledge. But, Solid State’s electrolyte material intellectual property won’t be licensed and will only be supplied to BMW for manufacturing purposes.

The nearly AU$30 million agreement extends to June 2024 (subject to achieving targets) and allows both companies to work together on optimising the manufacturing process, then BMW will duplicate Solid Power’s pilot production lines at its own German factory to produce prototype solid-state battery cells.

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It’s unclear when the first solid-state battery EV will launch, but the luxury carmaker promised last year that the first prototype model will hit the road “well before 2025”.

Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte, rather than the liquid found in conventional lithium-ion packs today. This theoretically allows it to be safer and more thermally stable, provide higher energy density due to its compact size to offer greater driving range, and increased reliability, longevity and charging speeds.

However, like with all new technologies, it isn’t expected to be cheap initially. Other emerging chemistries like lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) and sodium-ion batteries are mooted to lower the cost barrier to entry-level EVs, while reducing the reliance on mining increasingly expensive and unsustainable materials.

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“We could not be more excited about growing our relationship with BMW, a company that has demonstrated a strong commitment to Solid Power’s technology for the past seven years,” Solid Power’s COO, Dr Derek Johnson said.

“We believe this expanded partnership and increased collaboration is an added vote of confidence in Solid Power’s technology development.”

Ford is also another key investor in Solid Power with the aim of using its battery tech in future Ford EVs – while battery-makers such as QuantumScape, Factorial Energy (which has partnerships with Hyundai, Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz) and ProLogium Technology are also in the solid-state battery development race.

BMW is additionally investigating hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains as a viable alternative to battery-electric.