New Solid State Battery Will Double EV Lineup

Battery technology is advancing at a seemingly unstoppable pace.

It seems that every month we write about some new developments that can create extra-long endurance cages. We are delighted with the opportunities that we are given, for example, electric vehicles. which are not only viable, but also affordable .

Like these new batteries from the German electronics manufacturer Titanium, Bosch. Not only can they last longer, but they can also see electric vehicles go twice as far on a single charge.

Welcome to the exciting world of solid state lithium-ion batteries.

The unique advantages of these batteries

So, before we get into the heart of the matter, it’s probably worth learning the difference between liquid and solid electrolytic batteries.

The battery technology you are most familiar with uses a liquid electrolyte. These batteries can be found anywhere from laptops, mobile phones to smartwatches. But they have several key drawbacks.

Wet batteries require each cell to be packed in a tight sealed metal case. They are essential for safety, but reduce energy density and add weight and size.

They are also (relatively) expensive to make due to the complex and intricate manufacturing process used to make them and the fact that most lithium-ion batteries use cobalt oxide, an expensive and environmentally toxic chemical compound, in the cathode.

There’s also the issue of security. Lithium-ion cells are prone to explosion and overheating under adverse conditions. For example, if the cells are overheated or overloaded, the pressure inside them may increase. You can see the results in the video below. To make matters worse, the liquid used in these batteries is highly flammable.

Finally, because each lithium-ion battery must be packaged in a safe, sealed manner, they cannot be made small enough for many applications.

But these new batteries from Bosch don’t have these problems for a simple reason: Instead of using a liquid electrolyte, they use a nanostructured solid polymer electrolyte.

For a moment, if possible, solid polymer electrolytes really very cool.

Because they do not contain liquid, they do not need to be placed in secure, hermetically sealed containers. As a result, solid polymer electrolytic cells can be made as thin as 0.64 mm. They can also be stacked to create large battery packs.

While Bosch is promoting this technology, they didn’t create it. It’s been around for a while. In fact, Mitsubishi launched a laptop in 1998 with an ultra-thin solid-state polymer battery. The Pedion cost $6,000 and was only 1.84 centimeters thick, making it even slimmer than the first-generation Apple Macbook Air.

But it’s not just thickness. These cells can be as wide as you want. They simply very flexible. And because they are usually housed in foil containers, they can be rolled and bent, making them ideal for curved or irregularly shaped devices, as well as next-generation flexible electronics.

Finally, since these batteries are in a solid state (i.e. they do not contain liquid), there is no chance that they could leak or ignite. They are fundamentally safer. And they don’t need to use that poisonous cobalt oxide as a cathode. They can literally use any metal oxide.

In short, solid state lithium batteries are amazing. But there are still a few technological challenges that we must first overcome.

The promise of Bosch technology

Most of the problems that this battery technology faces can simply be solved by improving the manufacturing processes. This can often be solved by throwing money at a problem until it goes away, as we saw in Elon Musk’s stunning gigantic You Can

But when he leaves, he will be gone forever. Future solid-state batteries could be made using a «cut-off» process where there are sheets of electrolyte that are literally «cut off». And, as mentioned earlier, there is no need for an expensive cobalt oxide cathode.