Nissan Motor has unveiled a new prototype factory for laminated solid state battery cells which the company aims to sell from 2028 as part of its Ambition 2030 plan.
The facility was developed by the automaker’s research centre in Kanagawa Prefecture with the aim of promoting the development of solid state batteries. A pilot production line will be set up at the Yokohama car plant in fiscal 2024 which will allow the carmaker to study and optimise materials, design and manufacturing processes ahead of full production later in the decade.
Nissan believes the cost of solid state batteries can be reduced to US$75 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by fiscal 2028 and to US$65 per kWh in the following decade which would make the cost of electric vehicles (EVs) comparable with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Nissan said in a statement: “All solid state batteries are expected to be a game changing technology for accelerating the popularity of electric vehicles. They have an energy density approximately twice that of conventional lithium ion batteries, significantly shorter charging time due to superior charge/discharge performance, and lower cost thanks to the opportunity of using less expensive materials.”
It expects to use the batteries in a wide range of vehicle segments including pickup trucks.