Nissan's First EV With Solid-State Batteries Coming in 2028

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Automakers and companies looking to develop electric vehicles are continually looking to improve on battery technology to increase range and performance. Not too long ago, it seemed like automakers made a large jump from nickel-metal hydride to lithium-ion batteries. The result was better range, less weight, and vehicles with more impressive performance. 

Now, everyone's looking to take the next step into the world of solid-state batteries. According to a recent press release, it sounds like Nissan may be one of the first on the scene to have an EV with solid-state batteries on sale.


Solid-State Batteries Coming Soon


The automaker recently announced that it has been working on a prototype production facility for "laminated all-solid-state battery cells" that it hopes to bring to market as early as 2028. The prototype facility, which is located within the Research Center in Kanagaway Prefecture, is focusing on the development of solid-state batteries to be used in the automaker's future electric cars.


The rush to focus on solid-state batteries has become a part of the automaker's Nissan Ambition 2030 plan. The plan includes an investment of approximately $18 billion to introduce 23 new electrified models that include 15 all-new EVs. Under the plan, Nissan aims to have a 50 percent electrification mix by 2030. Solid-state batteries will help the automaker reach its goal and come out with EVs that are more competitive against other options on sale. More importantly, solid-state batteries will help the automaker manufacture more affordable vehicles.


Nissan claims that solid-state battery technology will allow the automaker to produce batteries at a low $75-per-kilowatt-hour by 2028. If true, that would make battery-powered vehicles similarly priced to vehicles with an internal combustion engine. With more time and development, the automaker believes that it will be able to reduce the price further to $65 per kilowatt-hour.


Nissan Faces Some Hurdles


We think it's important to point out that the average cost per kilowatt-hour hit a low of $132 in 2021, reports Bloomberg. With the semiconductor chip shortage and automakers having difficulty finding the right parts, we expect that price to go up when pricing for 2022 comes out.


While solid-state batteries are certainly the way forward for automakers and companies looking into electric vehicles, there are some challenges that automakers will face. Automotive News spent some time at Nissan's special factory and had some takeaways. For one, the solid-state batteries can produce what Nissan claims is a "bomb" based on how much more storage capacity solid-state batteries can hold compared to a lithium-ion battery. 

Nissan also faces issues on scaling production of solid-state batteries up, as the current assembly line that Nissan uses is a manual process, claims Auto News. This means that workers are mixing materials by hand, which limits the number of batteries Nissan can make every month to just a few pouches. If Nissan were to continue building battery packs at this rate, the outlet claims that it would take the automaker 8.3 years to make enough to power an EV.


Still, these drawbacks are worth looking into, as solid-state batteries will open a lot of doors for automakers to manufacture more affordable electric cars with better range and performance. Nissan isn't the only automaker that's looking into solid-state batteries. Nearly every other brand is, as they'll be the future for electric cars.


Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods