Toyota Motor Corporation has announced a policy to commercialize next-generation batteries called "fully solid-state batteries" by 2027-28 to improve the performance of electric vehicles (EVs). It is expected to extend flight distance and shorten charging times, and is planned for installation on the company's electric vehicle. In the electric vehicle market, while Tesla of the United States and others are leading the way, we plan to reverse the attack.
So far, Toyota has indicated plans to commercialize solid-state batteries in the first half of the 2020s and install them in hybrid vehicles (HVs) first.
All-solid-state batteries will be installed in next-generation electric vehicles handled by electric vehicle sales organization "BEV Factory" newly established in May. It can be fully charged in less than 10 minutes and aims to have a cruise range of around 1,000 kilometers, about twice that of a conventional electric vehicle. If fully solid-state batteries are installed, further improvements in performance can be expected.
Other Japanese manufacturers are also rushing to develop solid-state batteries, with Honda aiming to put them into practical use by the second half of the 2020s and Nissan Motor by the 2028 fiscal year.
To strengthen the competitiveness of electric vehicles, Honda President Toshihiro Sanbe said, “The most important thing is the competitiveness of the battery.” Nissan will also build a prototype line at a factory in Kanagawa Prefecture in fiscal year 2024, with an investment of 140 billion yen.
Toyota plans to increase global sales of electric vehicles to 3.5 million units by 2030, about 140 times the figure in 2022. Of these, 1.7 million are expected to be electric vehicles. The next generation is manufactured by the BEV factory and the company has announced that it will use large casting parts called "Gigacast".
Typically, 86 parts are put together in 33 processes to produce parts for the lower body of the vehicle. A similar manufacturing method has also been introduced by Tesla and is expected to result in significant cost reductions.
It also aims to halve the number of processes required for production from current levels by adopting a system in which unfinished vehicles drive themselves and move on to the next process in the factory. Takeo Kato, BEV Plant Manager, said: "We can contribute to reducing vehicle development costs and plant investments by achieving large-scale integration of parts. This is the future. future of manufacturing."
▷ Fully solid-state batteries
Unlike lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and electronics, solid-state batteries are used instead of liquid electrolytes. It has the advantages of high output, easy miniaturization, long flight range and short charging time. Challenges include short lifespans and the development of low-cost mass production technologies.
