Samsung showcases new 600-mile Solid State Battery Tech

• Samsung showcases solid-state battery tech at SNE Battery Day 2024 in Seoul
• Has shipped 600+ mile batteries to various EV manufacturers to test
• Warns that these long-range batteries will be in expensive car models at the beginning due to the cost of the technology 
• Chinese competitors NIO and CATL already working on their own solid-state battery tech to rival Samsung

Samsung recently showcased its latest battery innovations at the SNE Battery Day 2024 event in Seoul on the 23rd of July. Korean website thelec.kr has posted details about it but it's in Korean so we'll translate it for you below.

The initial battery units from their pilot solid-state battery production line had been delivered to several electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers, who have been testing these cells for approximately six months.

Samsung SDI's Vice President noted that automakers are particularly interested in these solid-state battery packs because they are more compact, lighter, and considerably safer than current EV batteries.

However, these benefits come with high production costs, leading to their initial use in the "super premium" EV market, defined by Samsung as luxury electric vehicles capable of exceeding 600 miles on a single charge.

This means that if you were waiting for cheap EVs with 600+ miles, you might be waiting a while until this type of technology is mass-produced to be affordable. 

Samsung's oxide solid-state battery technology offers an energy density of about 500 Wh/kg, almost twice that of mainstream EV batteries. This advancement could potentially allow for a 600+ mile range, although high production costs remain a significant hurdle.

Both Toyota and Samsung plan to start mass production of solid-state batteries by 2027. Toyota has indicated that these batteries will first appear in premium electric vehicles under the Lexus brand, suggesting that mass-market availability is still some years away.

Initially, the high cost of solid-state batteries led CATL, the largest EV battery manufacturer, to reject the idea of mass production before 2030. However, CATL has since revised its position and now aims for a 1% penetration rate of solid-state batteries by 2027.

Samsung is also working to be competitive in the more affordable EV segment by developing cheaper LFP (Lithium iron phosphate) and cobalt-free batteries, alongside a dry electrode production method.

To stand out from competitors, Samsung plans to offer solid-state battery packs that can charge in 9 minutes and have a lifespan of up to 20 years.

While these specifications are impressive, Chinese battery manufacturers have already announced similar technologies. NIO, for example, offers a 150 kWh battery pack with a semi-solid electrolyte that achieved over 650 miles of range in a highway speed test with their premium ET9 saloon.

Regarding the 9-minute charging claim, Samsung likely refers to the ability to charge a battery from 10% or 20% to 80%. Chinese manufacturers already provide 5C or 6C charging speeds with some of their technologies, although the infrastructure to support such rapid charging is still limited, even in China.

While Chinese manufacturers are already offering 5C or 6C charging speeds, which equates to charging rates that can charge a battery from 20 % to 80% in about 9-12 minutes, the UK infrastructure is still catching up, with ultra-rapid chargers being the closest equivalent but generally not reaching those extreme charging speeds.

A 20-year battery lifespan and corresponding warranty are becoming standard in the industry, with CATL and others already announcing "million-mile" batteries before needing to be replaced. Given the UK's current mileage being around 8,000 per year, I doubt many people are going to hit the million-mile mark any time soon.

NIO and CATL are also working towards a 15-year battery warranty to help establish a viable used EV market.

What does this mean for the EV market then? Progress is being made and the technology is constantly improving. It's likely by 2030 solid-state battery tech will be here but perhaps not for the mass market. In any case, even if the technology is only for the rich in the first instance, they will eventually sell these vehicles on and cheaper used models will hit the used market ready for us to claim.