Honda Exploring Solid-State Battery Technology

author: Eric Walz   

TOKYO — Honda Motor Co is considering developing all solid-state batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) as a growing number of global automakers seek to develop powerful, next-generation car batteries to reduce vehicle emissions, Reuters has reported.

Tighter global emissions regulations are forcing automakers worldwide to shift to electric cars, including all-battery EVs that will require capacity to deliver longer ranges and faster charge times, but at lower cost than lithium-ion batteries.

"We've been researching all solid-state batteries," Honda spokesman Teruhiko Tatebe said.

"At the moment we're not developing them with another automaker."

Kyodo News reported on Thursday that Honda and Nissan Motor Co were developing all solid-state EV batteries. Nissan was not immediately available for comment.

A growing number of automakers including Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) are developing all solid-state batteries, which offer more capacity and better safety than conventional lithium-ion batteries by replacing their liquid electrolyte with a solid, conductive material.

Earlier this month, Toyota said it was considering jointly developing the next-generation batteries with Panasonic to share high R&D costs.

Honda is planning to have a production-ready battery in the early 2020s, and has highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of battery development as it and other automakers plan to ramp up the number of electric models they sell in the coming decades.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.