Battery firms boost investment in solid state materials

With carmarkers accelerating their push to introduce solid state batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), battery materials firms are making investments and partnerships to position themselves in the global supply chain.

Carmarkers are eager to develop EV models with solid state lithium-ion batteries, which offer longer driving range, lower raw material costs, higher energy density and faster charging than batteries with liquid electrolytes. Solid state battery materials reduce the need for metals, such as nickel and cobalt, which are subject to high price volatility and have been identified by US and European governments as critical raw materials that are at risk from supply chain disruptions.

Solithor, a new spin-off company from Belgian research and innovation centre Imec, said today that it has raised €10mn in investment from a seed financing round led by imec.xpand and supported by a syndicate including private equity firm LRM, Belgian local government investor Nuhma and Belgian federal investment company FPIM. The company will use the funding to develop the manufacturing and commercialisation of its solid-state lithium battery cell technology.

Solithor will produce components for cell production, module and battery systems, targeting the aviation, maritime, space and heavy EV industries, where safe, lightweight cells with high energy density are key.

China's Linghang Guochuang said today that it is moving ahead with a partnership with US-based carmaker Mullen, after the Covid-19 pandemic sidelined their co-operation. The companies have started to integrate solid-state polymer cell technology into vehicle packs for the second generation of Mullen's FIVE EV Crossover vehicle. "Data collected from solid-state cell testing show impressive results for solid-state batteries, including potential range of 600 miles on a full charge and over 300 miles of range delivered in 18 minutes with DC fast charging," the companies said.

South Korean steelmaking conglomerate Posco has invested an undisclosed sum in ProLogium, a Taiwanese solid-state battery start-up, and signed a contract to jointly develop anode materials, silicon cathode materials and solid electrolytes for solid-state batteries.

Posco has been investing heavily in cathode and anode materials, as well as lithium mining and refining capacity in Latin America, as it aims to develop an integrated supply chain for battery materials. The company established its Posco JK Solid Solution joint venture with domestic solid electrolyte material manufacturer Jeong Kwang at the beginning of this year. In March, the joint venture started building a solid electrolyte plant with a capacity of 24 t/yr and expects to complete construction in the second half of the year.

For ProLogium, the deal with Posco gives it access to the company's development on cathode and anode materials as well as its lithium, nickel and graphite supply. ProLogium develops solid-state batteries with silicon anodes and lithium metal anodes. In January, ProLogium received a double digit-million euro investment from Germany's Mercedes Benz to develop solid-state battery cells that the carmarker will use in its passenger vehicles in the second half of the decade.

Solid state batteries are moving into the early production stage, with South Korea's Samsung SDI announcing in March that it has started construction of a pilot facility to verify its production technology. The site is expected to start production in early 2023 and the company said last week that it plans to accelerate its commercial-scale production, which it previously said would begin in 2027.

In early April, Japanese carmaker Nissan unveiled its prototype production facility for solid-state cells, which it aims to launch commercially in 2028. The facility will develop the materials, design and manufacturing processes that the company will need to establish a pilot production line at its Yokohama plant in 2024 and launch an EV powered by solid state batteries by 2028.

By Nicole Willing