Volkswagen to introduce high-performance solid-state batteries along with other technologies to improve range and reduce costs of future electric vehicles
@
emilianoragoni
Toyota and the electric, a complex relationship but one that could finally take off in the next few years. The Japanese manufacturer is in fact gradually increasing its investments. This is because for Toyota it is essential that EVs can fully replace the current thermal cars. Hence the reasons that push the Tokyo company to focus strongly on solid-state batteries. The latter and other technologies will be gradually introduced in production with the aim of improving the range and reducing the costs of future electric vehicles.
an epochal change of pace
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There Road map technology of the number 1 manufacturer in the world covers several aspects such as the development of new generation batteries and a radical redesign of factories. It is a real revolution for Toyota which wants to become competitive in the rapidly growing market for electric vehicles, where it has lagged behind its rivals led by Tesla. The release of the specifics of the plan comes a day before the annual meeting of shareholders where governance and strategy will be discussed, including the slow transition to electric vehicles a battery happened under former CEO Akio Toyoda.
the solid state battery revolution
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Toyota has declared its intention to launch new generation lithium-ion batteries starting from 2026. These accumulators will be able to count on greater autonomy and faster recharging. But the real technological breakthrough will come with the solid state batteries aiming to solve battery life problems. The Japanese manufacturer is developing the means for mass production of these batteries with the aim of marketing them in 2027-2028. In solid-state batteries, the electrolyte, i.e. the element that allows the charge to be transported between the two electrodes, passes from the liquid to the solid state. This peculiarity of theirs allows these batteries to support higher energy density, as well as being safer. In any case, several years are still needed for their production cost to decrease; in this period Toyota will use higher performance lithium iron phosphate batteries which represent a cheaper alternative to lithium ion accumulators.
1,000km EV ready
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For the high-end market, Toyota has said it will produce an EV with a more efficient lithium-ion battery that can deliver a range of 1,000 km. Instead, when the EV powered by a solid-state battery is ready, the range could reach 1,200 km with a recharge time of just 15 minutes. The plan unveiled a few days ago confirms that under the leadership of the new CEO, Koji Sato, Toyota has entered a phase of major renewal that includes the use of electric axles and other technologies from suppliers such as Aisin and Denso.
new automated assembly line
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In the wake of Tesla’s proposal, Toyota is completely redesigning its assembly line that will produce future EVs. The latter will be engineered on a new proprietary platform designed for reduce production costs. The new assembly line will be highly automated and will abandon the conveyor belt system that has characterized car production for over a hundred years. Toyota’s new assembly line will be “self-propelled” and highly automated. In addition, so-called giga presses will be used which, being capable of molding large pieces of aluminum, make it possible to reduce production costs and simplify the car.
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