In 2021, Mercedes-Benz entered into an agreement with the American startup Factorial to jointly develop technologies for creating solid-state batteries; in 2022, it invested $200 million in the partner’s capital, and now it has presented its Solstice batteries, which promise to increase the power reserve by 80%. compared to conventional lithium-ion ones.
Image Source: Factory
The company was able to achieve a charge storage density of 450 Wh/kg, which is enough to increase the power reserve by 80% compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries using liquid electrolyte. Secondly, Factorial will use the so-called “dry” cathode manufacturing technology, which can reduce energy costs for battery production, as well as speed up the process and reduce the negative impact on the environment.
The all-solid-state sulfide electrolyte allows Factorial batteries to withstand high temperatures greater than 90 degrees Celsius more safely and reduce the risk of fire. In turn, such resistance to elevated temperatures reduces the requirements for the performance of battery cooling systems, and this together makes it possible to reduce the weight of the electric vehicle’s power plant. In addition, the increased energy storage density makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the battery and its weight.
Electric vehicles equipped with such batteries will be able to travel up to 1000 km without recharging, while the weight will be reduced by 40%, and the overall dimensions of the traction battery by a third. The company is expected to begin shipping production versions of Solstice batteries by the end of this decade. Mercedes-Benz expects to be among the first customers, using this type of technology to differentiate its electric vehicles from competitors’ offerings. The latter, however, are also not sitting idle, and at least Japanese automakers intend to introduce their own solid-state traction batteries to the market by that time.