[eGeeked]

Roughly 14 years ago I worked as a salesman for our local dealership. And there are still several salesmen that I worked with still working there. So when I saw they received their mannequin I decided to stop in, say hi, and check out the truck.

During my conversations I learned that Ford was heavily invested in solid state batteries and that the potential range of converting from Lithium-Ion would be approximately 800 miles on a full charge. I thought, gee that would be wonderful but probably not for at least 5-10 years.

Then today when scrolling through apple news I came across the below and it appears we are approximately 4 years away. Couple this with Purdue & Fords less than 5 minute charging and life as an EV owner because even more easy than those of ICE.

Solid State Article - >5 Minute Charging Article

June 6 (Reuters) - Solid Power , a developer of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, aims to begin shipping pre-production battery cells by year-end for validation testing by partners BMW (BMWG.DE) and Ford Motor (F.N), the company said on Monday.

In an interview, Doug Campbell, Solid Power’s chief executive and co-founder, said the Colorado company has set up a pilot production line to provide validation samples to automakers while looking for a manufacturing partner to begin producing its cells as early as 2026.

One prospective partner, he said, is Korea’s SK Innovation (096770.KS), which is building joint-venture battery plants with Ford in Tennessee and Kentucky.
“Long term, we do not endeavor to be a cell producer,” he said.
Campbell said Solid Power has sufficient pilot production capacity to provide prototype battery cells to other vehicle manufacturers, but declined to provide specific detail.
The company, which went public through a reverse merger in 2021, drew early investments from Hyundai and Samsung, in addition to Ford and BMW.

Campbell acknowledges the intense competition in solid-state battery development among the “big boys - groups like Toyota, Panasonic, Samsung, LG Energy Solution, Hyundai and CATL.”

“We’re in a space among a lot of very prominent and credible players,” he said.

Like most of those companies, Solid Power’s battery cell features a sulfide-based solid-state electrolyte, the medium through which lithium ions flow between positive and negative electrodes during charging and discharging.

Battery cells with solid-state electrolytes have a significantly lower risk of catching fire from internal shorts than those with liquid electrolytes.
Campbell said Solid Power’s cells, which currently use silicon-rich anodes and nickel-cobalt-manganese cathodes, have the potential to hold more energy - thus providing electric vehicles with longer range - and cost less than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Solid Power also has designed its solid-state cells to be compatible with current lithium-ion manufacturing processes.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I think we were about 4 years away 4 years ago as well. I think these will come but you're better off driving a lithium battery vehicle now while you wait for solid state to materialize. Solid state batteries haven't even made it to small electronic devices like phones and laptops yet.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

it could be worse - it could be usable fusion power, which is always just 40-50 years away, and has been for about 75 years, plus/minus.

 

[Voltz]

So far, both cold fusion and scaled-up solid state batteries seem to be made of unobtanium.