A Better EV Battery Might Be Coming To A Honda Dealership Near You
It could be the breakthrough that makes EVs more affordable and efficient.
Honda
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Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxAs other automakers pursued electric vehicles with varying rates of success, Honda is among the companies that bided their time. The famously reliable, if somewhat bland, Japanese automaker only recently debuted the Prologue, its first mass-produced all-electric vehicle.
But a recent unveiling suggests Honda could soon be a true EV innovator.
The solid-state search
EVs are heavier and more expensive than gas-powered automobiles due in large part to the bulky batteries required to power them. That’s why any company capable of producing a cheaper and more efficient EV battery stands to make a fortune while revolutionizing an entire industry.
Honda seems to think it could be that company. At a recent event, the company demonstrated its newest initiative to create so-called solid-state batteries on the widest scale and for the lowest price anyone’s ever seen.
Essentially, solid-state batteries extend the life and range of batteries by replacing liquid electrolytes, which are found in standard lithium-ion batteries, with specialized conductive materials. The concept is effective on paper, but the process required to create them has perplexed even some of the brightest minds in the field.
Several other companies, including some backed by automakers like Volkswagen and Nissan, are also in pursuit of an elusive method for mass-producing solid-state batteries.
The plan of action
Honda offered some details about its program at the recent event, noting that researchers are working harder than ever to reduce time and complexity. Three separate facilities set up at one massive complex in Sakura City are each addressing specific aspects of the process — and production is set to begin early next year.
CEO Toshihiro Mibe has previously described solid-state batteries as a potential game-changer and the company says its method for creating them will be “three times faster” than standard cell battery production methods.
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