Nissan begins solid-state battery plant construction

NISSAN has this week showed its in-construction all solid-state battery pilot line to members of the media.

The Yokohama, Japan facility aims to further promote development and innovative manufacturing technologies for EV batteries and will form a vital part of Nissan’s plan to release solid-state battery technology in its models from 2028.

Nissan says solid-state batteries (SSB) will be “game-changers for EVs” and offer the potential for energy density approximately twice that of conventional lithium-ion packs.

SSB technology also enables faster charging and superior discharge performance when compared with lithium-ion technology and is cheaper to produce owing to the use of lower-cost material.

Nissan says that its SSB technology will eventually make its way into a range of vehicle segments – including pick-up trucks – making its EVs more competitive.

The Japanese manufacturer, which is part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance – says it is conducting wide-ranging research and development on EV and battery technology, from molecular-level material research to electric vehicle development, and even city development using EVs as storage batteries.

From this experience, Nissan says it is “stepping up development with the goal of practical implementation”.

The latest development from Nissan follows the brand’s 2022 announcement that its prototype production facility for laminated sold-state batteries would achieve a cost ratio of $75/kWh by 2028 and $65/kWh thereafter, placing its EVs at parity with internal-combustion powered vehicles.

“Nissan has been a leader in electrification technology through a wide range of R&D activities, from molecular-level battery material research to the development of safe, high-performance EVs. Our initiatives even include city development using EVs as storage batteries,” said Nissan research and development executive vice president Kunio Nakaguro.

“The knowledge gained from our experience supports the development of all-solid-state batteries and we’ve accumulated important elemental technologies. Going forward, our R&D and manufacturing divisions will continue to work together to utilize this prototype production facility and accelerate the practical application of all-solid-state batteries.”