Solid-state batteries are considered to be the next generation of battery technology which will help further the uptake of electric vehicles. Use of solid instead of liquid electrolytes enables many benefits over other batteries currently utilized in the market.
According to Dr. Rashid Farahati, Ph.D., Director, Corporate Competency Center Americas, Schaeffler, the use of solid electrolytes helps overcome three of the biggest challenges associated with current battery technology:
- safety
- driving range and
- charging time.
Solid electrolytes are not flammable like liquid variations are, which removes the chances of a battery catching on fire and thus leads to safety improvements. Longer driving ranges and shorter charging times are possible when using solid electrolytes as well because of the energy density possible and ability to use different types of anodes. In addition, solid-state batteries can be more compact in size which helps to reduce overall vehicle weight for further gains in driving range.
In this interview with Power & Motion, Dr. Farahati explains what makes solid-state batteries different from lithium-ion batteries and how they can benefit future electric vehicle designs.
