Samsung has revealed details about its promising solid-state electrolyte batteries. Samsung’s latest solid-state battery technology will initially be used in premium electric vehicles. It will provide them with a power reserve of up to 1000 km. Samsung will begin mass production of new solid-state batteries in 2027.
Image source: The Elec/Lee Min-jo
Solid-state battery technology promises to eliminate the risk of fire, increase EV range and reduce charging time. Samsung said several automakers are already testing samples of these batteries, but the company did not specify which ones.
«We supplied battery samples to customers from the end of last year to the beginning of this year and received positive feedback from them,” The Elec quoted Samsung SDI Vice President Koh Joo-young as saying at the SNE Battery Day 2024 conference in Seoul.
Initially, solid-state batteries for electric vehicles will not be cheap, so they will only be used in “super-premium electric vehicles,” giving them a range of 900 to 1,000 km (559 to 621 miles) per charge and increased safety.
According to Ko Ju-yong, replacing batteries with solid-state ones will reduce the weight and space occupied by the battery, which in the long term could lead to a reduction in the cost of the vehicle itself. Therefore, Joo Young notes, automakers are interested in them.
Samsung is also working on other types of batteries for the premium EV segment, such as lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum-oxide (NCA) batteries, in which the cathode is made of lithium oxide alloys, nickel, cobalt and aluminum. The advantages of batteries of this type are high specific energy capacity, long service life and high specific power. For the entry-level electric vehicle segment, Samsung is developing simpler “semi-solid-state” batteries. The company is also working on LFP batteries and batteries that contain less nickel, making them cheaper.
During its presentation, Samsung also reiterated its plans to begin production by 2029 of batteries that can be charged in 9 minutes and will last for 20 years. SNE Battery Day 2024 also featured speakers from LG Energy, Samsung’s EV battery competitor. LG is one of the largest manufacturers and one of the suppliers of batteries for Tesla. The company plans to start producing solid-state batteries later than Samsung, in 2030, also starting with supplies for the premium segment of electric vehicles.