Last week, in the shell of a factory that Nissan insists will be churning out solid-state batteries by 2028, an executive of the Japanese carmaker fired back at scepticism about the nascent technology from companies he says are clinging to the past.“All the battery suppliers want to keep enjoying the liquid-type batteries, which they have now. They’ve already made a big investment so not only CATL, but all the battery suppliers are not so very positive on solid state yet,” said the executive on the sidelines of a tour.
He was responding to claims made recently by the founder and chief executive of CATL, the Chinese company that dominates the electric vehicle battery industry, that the much-hyped solid-state batteries did not work well enough, lacked durability and still had safety problems.
It is not a criticism that Japan’s carmakers take lightly. Toyota led the way on research into solid-state batteries — which avoid the need for liquid electrolyte used in today’s technology and promise more range and better safety for electric vehicles — and they could be the deus ex machina that transforms Japanese carmakers’ growth prospects.