Porsche's Investment in Solid-State Batteries Could Mean New Advancements for Electric Sports Cars
Porsche is working on new solid-state batteries that could prove crucial to the company's future endeavors in the e-cars market.
Currently, the electric car industry is moving at a never imagined speed, showing no signs of slowing down soon and so are their top-tier
insurance
plans. While we may be appreciative of rapid technological changes, tabling better e-cars, the industry's existence would have been difficult without lithium-ion and solid-state batteries.
Though both batteries have been fueling the technology train for a long time, the latter is less common. Luckily,
Porsche
is among the few manufacturers working to realize its potential. It has partnered with many companies to spearhead the
production of solid-state batteries powered vehicles
. Let’s explore and learn more about these batteries and e-cars.Will Porsche make it in its daring adventures to equip cars with solid-state batteries?
Solid-state batteries are one of the earliest forms of power banks discovered in the 19th century. Many scientists argue that maybe the electric car market would've been silent without them.
As the name suggests, solid-state batteries have solid electrolytes and electrodes. This design is different from li-ion, which has a jelly-like electrolyte. Li-ion batteries are powerful and reliable but oblivious to many; their safety is a hotly contested topic, paving the way for solid-state batteries.
In 2020, Toyota began testing a prototype car running exclusively on solid-state batteries as part of its $13.6 billion commitment to battery technology. The
Driver
suspects the vehicle on test runs boasted on Toyota video to be an $80k LQ Concept.Regardless of how many companies are researching better power sources, Porsche is moving on a fast lane with the solid-state battery.
Green Car Repor
t states that even though it is not clear whether Porsche is just experimenting with solid-state batteries, the company's parent organization VW is deeply interested in them.VW is one of the long-time investors in QuantumScape, a multi-million solid-state battery manufacturer.
Green Car Reports continue to state that VW is confident that their cars will be running on fast-charging solid-state batteries by the end of the decade, capable of charging from 0 to 80% in just 12 minutes.
Solid-state battery capacity and future expectations
The future of solid-state batteries is well-lit, thanks to the many advantages.
This battery has a high gravimetric and volumetric energy density than lead acid. Gravimetric energy density is simply the quantity of energy contained in a system compared to its weight. Likewise, volumetric energy density is how much energy is stored in a battery in relation to volume.
A battery with high gravimetric and volumetric energy density can store more energy irrespective of its lightweight or small size.
In addition to energy density, solid-state batteries have outstanding durability and are lightweight and flexible, earning them multiple uses in military, low carbon-emitting cars, and hospitals.
Weakness of solid-state batteries slowing down Porsche's production belts
Despite having a promising feature, Porsche must address the critical drawbacks of these batteries before commercializing them.
The battery is prone to poor conductivity due to the incompatibility of sulfide compounds to metal anodes. This may not only cause an electric car to stop when driving but also inconveniences in charging.
Since mass production of solid-state is still in its infancy, the battery may retail at higher prices unless various production chains link together to share costs.
Lastly, the perfect material for a solid electrolyte is yet to be found.
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