At some point, the development of solid-state batteries—in which electrons flow through a solid material instead of a liquid or gel—is going to lead to electric vehicles that can go much farther on a charge and battery-storage systems that can hold more energy while taking up less space. We just don’t know when that is going to be.
Solid-state batteries are capable of holding much more energy per unit of mass than today’s lithium-ion batteries, which means an EV could go for much longer before needing to be recharged, he said. Even though the electrolyte is solid, it is porous on a microscopic level, allowing electrons to pass through it.
Researchers have long known that a solid-state design has advantages over batteries that use a liquid or gel, including lithium-ion batteries. One of the big advantages is that solid electrolytes can be made to weigh less and take up less space than liquids or gels. But there are some big engineering challenges that have slowed this technology from reaching consumers.
Ilika plc (LON:IKA) is a pioneer in solid state battery technology enabling solutions for applications in Industrial IoT, MedTech, Electric Vehicles and Consumer Electronics.
