Honda Teases EVs With High-Range ‘Solid State’ Batteries This Decade

Two big barriers to widespread EV adoption—limited range and long charging times—might be solved sooner than you think.

By the end of the decade, Honda plans to launch a fully electric vehicle with a solid state battery, a more energy-dense power source than the lithium ion ones used in EVs currently, Ars Technica reports(Opens in a new window). Many people in the auto industry believe solid state batteries could double range, reduce charging time, and eliminate the already low risk of battery fires.

“In the springtime of 2024, we will start a pilot line [for manufacturing],” Shinji Aoyama, global leader of electrification at Honda, told Ars during a roundtable interview at its Tokyo HQ. “Then if we can be successful, we believe we can launch a vehicle with a solid-state battery in the latter part of the 2020s—2029, 2028.”

Honda’s first electric SUV—the 2024 Prologue SUV—will launch with General Motors’ Ultium battery platform, a stopgap as the brand quietly cooks up a next-gen battery under its own name.

2024 Honda Prologue, all-electric SUV.
(Credit: Honda)

“The alliance with GM is a big weapon for us,” says Honda Global CEO and President Toshihiro Mibe. “We need to have all kinds of measures in place in order to establish the EV businesses going forward.”

Honda did not confirm which models will have a solid state battery, or in which markets they will be sold, except to say they will be in motorcycles. Of course, this all depends on whether manufacturers can successfully commercialize a solid state battery for EVs, which has been “just around the corner” for almost a decade.

Honda also recently announced(Opens in a new window) a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions for a $4.4 billion battery plant in the US, which may manufacture lithium ion batteries before going to solid state. Another partnership with Honda and Sony Entertainment will bring a vast array of content—including the metaverse—to future drivers.

“We’re really excited to see Honda so engaged in electrification over the coming decade,” says Grant Ray, vice president of global market strategy for Group14(Opens in a new window), which makes materials to be used in silicon batteries—another promising technology in the pipeline (see below).

As forward-looking as Honda appears, it is one of many brands investing in battery technology and solid state in particular. Toyota leads, with over 1,300 patents(Opens in a new window) and plans to launch (Opens in a new window)a solid state battery in a hybrid by 2025. Samsung(Opens in a new window), Hyundai, BMW, Ford, GM, Volkswagen, and others have made significant investments in solid state battery development as well, JD Power reports(Opens in a new window). 

With EV adoption increasing exponentially around the globe, whichever brand figures it out first has the opportunity to unlock new customers and major profits.

What Is a Solid State Battery?

(Credit: Samsung)

Solid state batteries operate the same way as any other battery. They take energy in, store it, and release the power to devices—from Walkmen to watches and, now, vehicle motors.

The difference is the materials inside. Lithium ion batteries, used in EVs today, have a liquid electrolyte solution sandwiched in between their cathodes and anodes; see the middle gap in the image above. Alternatively, solid state batteries use solid electrolytes.

The increased density means solid state batteries can hold anywhere between two to 10 times the capacity of a lithium ion battery, AutoWeek reports(Opens in a new window).

Why Don’t EVs Already Use Solid State Batteries?

Solid state batteries already exist, just in much smaller devices like smartwatches, pacemakers, and RFID tags. The barrier to using them in EVs is primarily that they’re expensive and difficult to produce in a larger size at scale, Vox explains(Opens in a new window). With battery-powered vehicles already more expensive than gas-powered ones, consumers have little appetite for even pricier vehicles.

Longevity is another issue, but Honda says it has a solution. The solid electrolytes (the middle third in the images above) can degrade over time, so Honda plans to protect it by wrapping it in a new polymer fabric, Ars Technica reports(Opens in a new window).

The batteries also need to undergo ample testing for durability on roads and lifespan for everyday driving. Remember, we’re talking about taking something worn on a wrist and using it as a gigantic car battery for the first time en masse.

Do Solid State Batteries Increase Range?

With a solid state battery, EVs should be able to go just as far as a gas-powered car does before refueling. Take a 15 gallon gas tank that goes 30 miles per gallon, for example. That car can go 450 miles before filling up (15*30).

Most EVs today have ranges of 200 to 300 miles, although the 2024 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck will have a 400-mile range, and the super-luxe Lucid(Opens in a new window) sedan, already on the road today, boasts a 520-mile range.

Multiplying those ranges by around 50% (or as much as 80%, CarBuzz reports(Opens in a new window)), and solid state batteries are ready to play ball on road trips. An EV with a 300-mile range now has 450 miles. Plus, solid state batteries will charge faster than lithium ion with less degradation to the battery itself.

Fires Extinguished: Solid State Improves EV Safety

(Credit: SpyroTheDragon / Getty Images)

With frightening reports of battery fires in the wake of flooding from Hurricane Ian, EVs have developed a bad rep for being rolling matchsticks. But in reality, that honor should go to the lithium ion battery. Swap it out for a solid state, and the EV has a very low risk of fire.

The liquid electrolytes in lithium ion batteries are flammable, but since solid state batteries do not have that liquid, they do not run the same risk of fire.

Fires from lithium ion batteries are rare, and automakers include casing and protective measures to avoid them, but when they happen they are powerful and difficult to extinguish, sometimes taking thousands of gallons of water. Building EVs that are not flammable is a big win for drivers, citizens, and fire departments.

How Do You Recycle Solid State Batteries?

Both lithium ion and solid state batteries can be recycled in one of many new facilities dedicated to rejuvenating end-of-life material. For example, Redwood Materials(Opens in a new window), started by former Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel, is a large scale battery recycling project in Nevada. Redwood has $792 million(Opens in a new window) in funding from investors, including Ford(Opens in a new window).

“Solid-state batteries are able to leverage the growing lithium ion battery recycling infrastructure,” Will McKenna, head of marketing for BMW- and VW-backed Solid Power(Opens in a new window), tells CarBuzz.

“Like [lithium ion] batteries, Solid Power’s batteries typically contain nickel, manganese, lithium, and small amounts of cobalt. The same methods for recycling lithium ion batteries by extracting these metals will also work for solid-state batteries. As such, we don’t anticipate additional processes of infrastructure investment required.”

Nightmare scenarios of piles of dead EV batteries leaking into the ground can also be dismissed, as there is no liquid inside to leak. Not to mention, solid state may have a 39% smaller carbon footprint than lithium ion batteries, Electrek reports(Opens in a new window).

Silicon vs. Solid State Batteries

The race for an energy-dense EV battery spans multiple technologies, and solid state batteries are just one solution. Silicon batteries are another leading contender, and Tesla(Opens in a new window), Porsche(Opens in a new window), and others have already made investments there. It promises similar benefits to solid state by using a slightly different recipe of ingredients inside the battery.

“We’re increasing the battery’s energy density by up to 50% or more, and enabling battery manufacturers to bring charging times way down to the point where recharging your car gets closer to refilling your tank,” says Grant Ray of Group14.

Group14 website showing raw silicon battery materials.
(Credit: Group14)

Group14 has pioneered a new manufacturing method for silicon ion, an abundant yet unstable material, which battery manufacturers and automakers can use inside batteries to enhance their performance. Ray says Porsche’s 2024 EVs will have batteries that use Group14’s material. They will not be the last, as Group14 received a $100 million grant(Opens in a new window) from the Biden Administration in October to further development.

Silicon and solid state batteries are not mutually exclusive, and one may not win out over the other. Rather, they can work together as one of many technologies required to bring cheaper, better EVs to market.

“With automakers pursuing both silicon batteries and solid-state batteries, the reality is that these two technologies are not mutually exclusive,” says Ray. “Our partners are leveraging our silicon battery technology within solid-state batteries to push the boundaries on energy density, enabling a vehicle to go the distance that consumers are expecting.”

To learn more on EV batteries, see EV Batteries 101: Degradation, Lifespan, Warranties, and More.