Solid Power Installs ‘EV Cell Pilot Line’ to Manufacture Solid State Batteries

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Battery developer Solid Power – an all-solid-state battery cells developer for electric vehicles – has said that it has completed installation of its pilot production line called “EV cell pilot line” which is designed to produce EV- scale solid state cells for batteries.

As per the official statement of Solid Power, the company intends to produce Silicon EV Cells for internal testing before delivering cells to its automotive partners BMW and Ford to kick off automotive qualification testing. This is planned for the end of the year.

Doug Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Solid Power, said, “The installation of this EV cell pilot line will allow us to produce EV-scale cells suitable for initiating the formal automotive qualification process. Over the coming quarters, we will work to bring the EV cell pilot line up to its full operational capability and look forward to delivering EV-scale all-solid-state cells to our partners later this year.”

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Solid Power said that the EV cell pilot line is designed to produce large-format sulfide-based cells in a manner that mimics existing traditional lithium-ion production processes. When running at full capacity, the EV cell pilot line is expected to be capable of producing 300 cells per week, or approximately 15,000 cells per year. The majority of the cells are being planned for automotive qualification testing.

The technology is designed to power longer-range, lower-cost and safer electric vehicles. By using over 50% active silicon in the anode, Solid Power has designed the cell for increased energy density, which is expected to correlate to longer driving ranges to address range anxiety – a key barrier to mass EV adoption.

Derek Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Solid Power, stated, “With the EV cell pilot line now installed, our next big challenge is commencing production at scale and building cells that meet the requirements necessary for us to enter into automotive qualification later this year.”

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Solid Power has also held that it expects to be able to optimize its Silicon EV Cells for capacities ranging from 60 to 100 Ah. Solid Power wants this flexibility to allow the company to meet its automotive partners’ specifications, while allowing for additional partners with distinct design specifications.

Given the limited availability and expensive processing of lithium, industry is now looking for other battery technologies that can give fillip to the electric vehicle adoption across the world. Solid state batteries is emerging as a viable option against lithium based ones. According to a latest report by IDTechEx, the commercialization of solid state batteries will uplift the EV sector between 2025-2030 because they store more energy, get charged faster and are safer than lithium-ion batteries. Toyota and Volkswagen have already announced plans of investments in solid state batteries to uplift their EV segments.