Nissan. A “prototype factory” for solid-state batteries

Nissan sets up an experimental production line for solid-state batteries.

Nissan is building an experimental production line to develop solid-state batteries and manufacture them on a large scale. The manufacturer plans to market a solid-state battery vehicle in 2028.

Among the manufacturers engaged in the race for electrification, many are those who want to be the first to offer a series electric car with a solid battery. All the major automotive groups are working on it, from Stellantis to Volkswagen via Ford, and the Japanese are particularly advanced in this area. Toyota is already testing a prototype, Honda plans to complete one this year, and Nissan today presents a “prototype plant” which will be used to develop accumulators of this type as well as the processes for their mass production.

Nissan solid battery machine — The pilot line will be used for the development of batteries as well as for their industrialization.

A solid battery Nissan in 2028

Nissan’s new facilities take the form of an experimental production line installed at its plant in Yokohama, the city where the brand is headquartered. A gradual ramp-up is planned with the start of pilot production in 2024, development in 2026 and the marketing of a first solid-state battery car in 2028. Nissan’s partners in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will also benefit from this work.

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Solid electrolyte, the battery of the future?

Solid electrolyte batteries offer an energy density nearly twice as high as current lithium-ion batteries, and are able to store and distribute their electricity more quickly. They can therefore be more compact for an equivalent autonomy, or make it possible to cover more distance on a charge for an unchanged bulk, and carry the promise of a drastic reduction in the time spent at the terminal. They can also be built with less expensive materials. ” Nissan estimates the cost of solid-state batteries can be reduced to $75 per kWh in FY2028 and $65 per kWh thereafter, putting all-electric vehicles at the same price point as gasoline vehicles “says the Japanese manufacturer. Previously difficult to envisage before 2030, the launch of solid-state batteries now seems to be looming for the end of this decade.