The future of car traffic is electric – who would seriously have doubts, in view of the rapidly increasing numbers Registration numbers, enormous Manufacturers’ investments and billions as well Buying incentives in many states? But it is also clear: about that Electric car To actually help achieve a breakthrough on a massive scale not only requires a comprehensive charging infrastructure, but also affordable models and, above all, cheaper batteries. Because the battery is still the most expensive component in an electric car.
When building battery capacities, car manufacturers are in a real race. Almost every month, manufacturers and financiers announce high investments in new battery factories, some experts even warn against one Oversupply of battery cells.
Toyota, previously known primarily as a supplier of hybrid models without charging plugs, now plans to invest almost 14 billion dollars in battery development in order not to be left behind in this race for cheaper e-cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles. By 2030, the Japanese want to have a battery capacity of up to 200 gigawatt hours installed in their then eight million electrified cars – one million of which should then be pure electric cars.
Unlike about Volkswagen Toyota is relying more on a mix of battery technologies. On the one hand, Toyota wants to use lithium-ion technology, in which battery cells use gaseous hydrogen as an active material, and to expand this technology further. On the other hand, Toyota relies on solid-state or solid-state batteries. They are considered to be a beacon of hope compared to the previously leading lithium-ion battery technology in order to achieve longer ranges and faster charging times. They are also considered to be cheaper and safer because they do not use liquid, which tend to be flammable, solutions.
“We feel we are one step closer to commercialization after recognizing short lifespan as an issue,” said Masahiko Maeda, Toyota’s chief technology officer, in one Briefing for investors. The automaker wants to use solid-state batteries more in hybrids in order to bring the technology to market more quickly. Toyota plans to send the first cars with the new battery type on test drives in the coming year, and this type of battery could then possibly be ready for series production in the second half of this decade.
The price of car batteries should be cut by half – with more power
The goal is ambitious: By developing more powerful and new types of batteries for fully electric and electrified cars, Toyota aims to cut the cost per car battery by around half by 2030 and increase performance by up to a third. In order to achieve this goal, Toyota wants to expand its cooperation with suppliers such as CATL, Panasonic and Toshiba.
It remains to be seen whether a certain type of battery, such as the solid-state battery, will actually prevail in the end. It is clear that the competition is not sleeping. Because in order to be able to meet the more stringent climate targets, manufacturers have to bring more vehicles with alternative drives into their fleets.
This is one of the reasons why the competitor Volkswagen, for example, is speeding up and plans to build six battery cell factories in Europe with partners by 2030, also in order to make itself less dependent on Asian suppliers. In addition, the Wolfsburg-based company recently ordered batteries worth 14 billion dollars for the next decade from their battery cell partner Northvolt. Volkswagen holds after the latest round of funding around a fifth of the shares in the most important European battery manufacturer. The Swedes want to increase their annual production capacity to 150 gigawatt hours by 2030 and are aiming for a market share of 25 percent in Europe.