Controversial or pragmatic?

According to Mercedes chief technology officer Markus Schäfer, who said improvements to the energy density of lithium ion batteries had been “unexpected” to the point where they could end up being “neck and neck” with solid-state batteries in terms of cost and energy density.

Solid-state battery technology has long been touted as the next breakthrough for battery-electric vehicles for its supposedly better energy density and therefore lower cost, but Schäfer says he doesn’t see them as having “come with a major cost advantage or energy advantage” because “so many people have worked on the conventional cells, making them so much better”.

He conceded there is a safety advantage to solid-state technology but developments are expected in lithium technology too. As such, the technologies are in “a head-to-head race, the winner of which I don’t know” and solid state no longer seems a “major breakthrough” while still facing a “long, long development time”.

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Large-scale production of solid-state batteries is still in its early stages, as there are many technical and economic barriers to overcome. Some of the major challenges include finding suitable materials for the solid electrolyte and electrodes, scaling up the fabrication process, improving the performance and stability of the cells, and reducing the cost.

Lithium-ion batteries, on the other hand, have a more mature and established production process, as they have been used for decades in various applications. They are also more accessible and affordable than solid-state batteries at the moment. However, lithium-ion batteries still face some limitations in terms of capacity, safety, and environmental impact. Therefore, there is a need for continuous innovation and improvement in lithium-ion battery technology to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles.

Solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries have different pros and cons for electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries offer higher energy density, longer lifespan, and lower safety risks than lithium-ion batteries, but they are also more expensive, less powerful, and more sensitive to dendrite formation. Large-scale production of solid-state batteries is still in its infancy stage, while lithium-ion batteries are more widely used and cheaper.

Both technologies have potential for improvement and innovation and will likely coexist in the future.

Which one do you think will dominate the electric vehicle market?