Honda has launched a site in Japan that aims to clearly illustrate the company’s plans for the mass production of all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. Due to this, the manufacturer intends in the future to begin producing vehicles with a significantly increased power reserve and a longer service life of the power source.
Image source: Honda
Many companies do not use solid-state batteries due to the difficulty and cost of scaling their production. In such a battery, the liquid electrolyte used in modern lithium-ion batteries is replaced with dry conductive materials. This results in higher energy storage densities and longer service life. However, mass production of such batteries requires a completely different production process.
Honda has announced its intention to speed up research and reduce the time required to produce batteries for one car. This will be done by the employees of the new site, which is located on an area of 27 thousand m² in Sakura City, Japan. The site has all the necessary equipment, which is located in three rooms: for the manufacture of cathodes and assembly of elements, for the manufacture of the anode, for activating the electrolyte and the final assembly of modules.
Cathode pressing for solid-state batteries
The company intends to release the first copies of solid-state batteries on this line in January next year. Honda expects to organize larger-scale production in the second half of the decade. This is also expected to make electric vehicles cheaper to produce.