Samsung Will Soon Build Its First Solid State EV Battery Prototypes

Published March 21, 2022
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3 min read

These batteries could provide EVs with better range without changing the overall size of the pack

Global battery manufacturer Samsung SDI has started building a new pilot assembly line in South Korea that’ll produce the first prototypes of its solid state batteries. The novel batteries have a unique chemistry and structure that allows them to store more energy within the same volume compared to conventional lithium ion cells. In the future, they are expected to replace lithium ion batteries in EVs.

What are solid state batteries?

In conventional batteries, the lithium ions are stored within a solvent medium that allows them to flow freely from one terminal to another while charging or discharging. A solid state battery uses a solid or semi-solid (gel-like) electrolyte, through which the lithium ions can pass.

In Samsung’s batteries, the cathode is a layer made of Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC), and the electrolyte is a lithium-based composite. In addition, the battery has a super-thin separator layer made of Lithium-Zirconium oxides and a silver-carbon layer above the anode. Both these layers play a key role in the safety and stability of these batteries.

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Solid-state cell structure showing the NMC (black), electrolyte (beige) and silver-carbon (grey) layers

Samsung SDI first revealed the development of its new battery type in early 2020, when it published a scientific paper on the novel cell design. At that point, the battery maker had projected a range of 800km for an EV powered by solid state batteries, and it could be charged and discharged up to 1,000 times.

Why do we need solid state batteries?

Lithium ion batteries have two shortcomings that battery manufacturers are trying to fix with new cell chemistries, materials, and construction techniques.

The first is their safety in the event of an accident. Although extremely rare, EV batteries have been known to catch fire in serious crashes, where the battery casing suffered damage. Solid state cell designs can help overcome this issue by using non-flammable solid electrolytes that don’t leak from individual cells in a crash event.

Their second shortcoming is their limited range and long charging times. Carmakers try to get around this by using ultra-high wattages (the Porsche Taycan accepts upto 350kW of DC fast charging) and larger battery packs. But the gains from both these methods are diminishing – ultra-fast chargers are much rarer to find and costlier to install than regular 50kW public fast chargers, and larger packs are heavier and more expensive.

Samsung’s solid state batteries are more energy dense, so fewer cells are required to store the same amount of charge. For now, charging times are expected to be on par with lithium ion batteries.

When will solid-state-powered EVs be launched?

At this point, it’s too early to tell how soon Samsung or any of the other battery manufacturers will put their designs into full-scale production for an EV. However, the pace at which the tech is developing, we expect to see solid state batteries in electric cars by the end of this decade in 2030.

At least initially, solid state battery-powered EVs could be more expensive to buy than those with conventional batteries. Other than Samsung SDI, battery manufacturers such as QuantumScape and even carmakers such as Toyota and Dongfeng Motor are working on the upcoming tech.

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The future of EV batteries

Alongside the development of new solid state battery packs, battery makers such as Samsung SDI and others are also continuously improving conventional lithium ion batteries with better cell chemistries and energy management systems.

For you, the consumer, it only means that future EVs will get better range figures than we see today, and charging times are likely to improve as well.

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