Why Solid State Batteries are Finally Here (Almost)

Undecided with Matt Ferrell
21 May 202415:08

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the imminent arrival of solid-state batteries (SSBs) to the market, with QuantumScape and Solid Power leading the charge. These batteries promise higher energy density, longer life, faster charging, and improved safety over lithium-ion batteries. QuantumScape's innovative anode-free design and Solid Power's sulfide-based electrolyte each offer unique advantages, addressing previous manufacturing and performance challenges. Despite ongoing engineering hurdles, both companies are making strides towards commercialization, potentially revolutionizing electric vehicles and energy storage.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 Solid State Batteries (SSBs) are on the verge of commercialization with pilot programs and production facilities in development.
  • 🔋 Compared to lithium-ion batteries, SSBs offer higher energy density, longer life, increased safety, and the potential for faster charging.
  • 🛠️ The challenge for SSBs has been the difficulty in transitioning from lab success to market availability, due to material and manufacturing complexities.
  • 🌟 QuantumScape and Solid Power are two companies leading the way in SSB commercialization, each with unique approaches to battery formulation and design.
  • 💡 QuantumScape's innovation lies in their anode-free design, which uses a dendrite-resistant solid electrolyte separator, allowing lithium metal to act as the anode and enabling faster charging.
  • 🚗 The anode-less design of QuantumScape's battery is particularly advantageous for electric vehicles (EVs), addressing range anxiety and charge time concerns.
  • 📦 QuantumScape's FlexFrame housing design addresses the issue of battery expansion during fast charging, maintaining stackability and compactness for EV applications.
  • 🔬 Solid Power uses a sulfide-based solid electrolyte separator, which offers high ionic conductivity, flexibility, heat resistance, and potential moisture resistance, easing manufacturing.
  • 📈 Solid Power claims significant cost savings in manufacturing, with estimates of 15-35% less than competitors, making SSBs more accessible.
  • 📊 Both QuantumScape's QSE-5 and Solid Power's batteries show promising stats in terms of volumetric density, cycle life, and charge times, positioning them as strong contenders in the EV market.
  • ⏱ While neither company has set a definitive mass market release date, they are making significant strides towards commercialization, with QuantumScape aiming for 2025 and Solid Power predicting 2028 for EV adoption.

Q & A

  • What are solid state batteries (SSBs) and why are they considered revolutionary?

    -Solid state batteries (SSBs) are a type of battery that uses a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid electrolyte found in traditional lithium-ion batteries. They are considered revolutionary due to their higher energy density, longer lifespan, increased safety, smaller size, and potential for faster charging capabilities.

  • Which two companies are currently leading the commercialization of SSBs according to the script?

    -QuantumScape and Solid Power are the two companies leading the commercialization of solid state batteries, with pilot programs and production facilities already in development.

  • What are the main challenges that have prevented SSBs from reaching the mass market?

    -The main challenges for SSBs reaching the mass market include the finicky nature of the battery components, the need for very specific manufacturing techniques and specialized machinery, difficulty in mass production due to the materials used like ceramic or glass, and the high cost of manufacturing in extremely controlled conditions.

  • How does QuantumScape's anode-free battery design differ from traditional batteries?

    -QuantumScape's anode-free battery design uses a highly dendrite-resistant solid electrolyte separator, allowing the lithium metal itself to act as the anode. This eliminates the bottleneck that slows charging speed in traditional batteries and results in a more energy-dense battery with faster charging capabilities.

  • What is the significance of QuantumScape's QSE-5 battery being able to charge to full in less than 15 minutes?

    -The ability of QuantumScape's QSE-5 battery to charge to full in less than 15 minutes is significant because it addresses one of the main hurdles for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, which is charge time. Faster charging times can help alleviate range anxiety and make EVs a more attractive option for consumers.

  • What is the FlexFrame design by QuantumScape and how does it address the issue of battery expansion during fast charging?

    -The FlexFrame is a combination of a box-and-pouch design by QuantumScape. It includes a central pouch built to swell, which rises flush with a boxy frame when it expands. This design ensures that the batteries have room to grow and shrink while remaining tightly stackable, addressing the issue of battery expansion during fast charging.

  • What is unique about Solid Power's sulfide-based solid electrolyte separator in their batteries?

    -Solid Power's sulfide-based solid electrolyte separator offers several unique benefits. It has great ionic conductivity, allowing lithium ions to travel with less resistance, which aids in faster charging times. It is also flexible, heat resistant, and can be moisture resistant when properly treated, which can simplify the manufacturing process.

  • How does Solid Power's battery formulation with sulfide电解质s potentially simplify the manufacturing process?

    -Solid Power's battery formulation with sulfide电解质s can be produced using roll-to-roll battery manufacturing equipment, which is common in the industry. Additionally, sulfide电解质s can be manufactured from abundant materials at a relatively low cost, helping to avoid supply chain issues and potentially reducing manufacturing costs by 15-35% compared to competitors.

  • What are the main differences between QuantumScape's QSE-5 and Solid Power's EV batteries in terms of volumetric density, cycle life, and charge time?

    -QuantumScape's QSE-5 has a higher volumetric density than Tesla's 4680 cylindrical cells and Solid Power's EV battery, indicating it can store more energy within a given volume. In terms of cycle life, QSE-5 leans towards a longer lifespan compared to Solid Power's EV battery. Both QSE-5 and Solid Power's batteries can achieve charge times of 15 minutes, but they achieve this through different methods related to their respective electrolyte separators.

  • What are some of the remaining engineering problems for sulfide-based and oxide-based solid state batteries?

    -For sulfide-based batteries, vulnerability to dendrites is a remaining issue, which can be mitigated through various methods such as running the battery extra hot or under pressure, or operating at low power. For oxide-based batteries like QuantumScape's, challenges include the difficulty and expense of mass production due to the need for high-temperature sintering, which is an expensive and energy-intensive process.

  • What are some of the future plans for QuantumScape and Solid Power regarding the production and commercialization of their SSBs?

    -QuantumScape is preparing to introduce and scale-up their 'Cobra' production system in 2025, which they claim will allow mass production of solid state batteries at the gigawatt scale. Solid Power has not issued an official mass market goal date, but their CEO predicts that 2028 will be the year that EVs are regularly powered by solid state batteries, including those from Solid Power.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Solid State Batteries: The Future of Energy Storage

The video script introduces the imminent arrival of solid state batteries (SSBs) to the market, highlighting two companies, QuantumScape and Solid Power, that are leading the charge. These batteries promise higher energy density, longer life, increased safety, and faster charging capabilities compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. The script discusses the challenges faced by SSBs in transitioning from lab to market, including material and manufacturing complexities. It also provides an overview of the basic functioning of SSBs, emphasizing the replacement of liquid electrolytes with solid ones to prevent issues like leakage, thermal runaway, and dendrite growth. The potential applications of SSBs in electric vehicles (EVs) and portable electronics are also mentioned.

05:05

🔋 QuantumScape's Innovations and Market Strategy

This paragraph delves into QuantumScape's approach to solid state battery development. The company's anode-free design is a key innovation, where lithium metal acts as the anode, eliminating bottlenecks and allowing for higher energy density and faster charging. The QSE-5 battery is expected to charge fully in under 15 minutes, addressing one of the main concerns with EV adoption. The script also touches on the cost benefits of not needing to produce an anode, the increased lifespan of the battery due to reduced chemical reactions, and the unique FlexFrame housing that accommodates the expansion during fast charging. QuantumScape's progress towards commercialization with a 2024 goal and the development of their 'Cobra' production system for mass production in 2025 is highlighted.

10:08

🌟 Solid Power's Sulfide-Based Battery Development

The script shifts focus to Solid Power, a Colorado-based company with a novel sulfide-based solid electrolyte separator for their batteries. The sulfide materials offer high ionic conductivity, flexibility, heat resistance, and potential moisture resistance, which could simplify the manufacturing process. Solid Power's claim of being able to manufacture their batteries at a cost 15-35% less than competitors is a significant advantage. The company's progress with their Silicon EV battery and the benefits of sulfide-based separators are discussed, along with the potential impact on EV battery performance and the market outlook for solid state batteries.

📊 Comparative Analysis of QuantumScape and Solid Power Batteries

The final paragraph provides a comparative analysis of QuantumScape's QSE-5 and Solid Power's EV battery against Tesla's 4680 cylindrical cells. It covers volumetric density, cycle life, and charge times, highlighting the superior energy storage and faster charging capabilities of the solid state batteries. The script also discusses the different methods each company uses to achieve fast charging, such as QuantumScape's high-voltage approach and Solid Power's use of sulfide's softness. The potential release dates for these batteries are mentioned, with QuantumScape planning for mass production in 2025 and Solid Power's CEO predicting 2028 as the year for widespread EV adoption with solid state batteries. The paragraph concludes with a cautionary note on the remaining engineering challenges and a reminder that while solid state batteries are promising, they are not a panacea for all energy storage needs.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Solid State Batteries (SSBs)

Solid State Batteries (SSBs) are a type of battery that uses a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid electrolyte found in traditional lithium-ion batteries. They are central to the video's theme as they promise to be more energy dense, longer-lasting, safer, and potentially faster charging. The script discusses how companies like QuantumScape and Solid Power are pioneering the commercialization of SSBs, indicating a significant shift in battery technology.

💡Commercialization

Commercialization refers to the process of making a product or technology available to the public for purchase. In the context of the video, it is the goal of companies like QuantumScape and Solid Power to bring SSBs to the market. The script mentions that these companies are 'on schedule for commercialization,' highlighting the imminent arrival of SSBs in the consumer market.

💡Energy Density

Energy density is a measure of the amount of energy stored in a given system or substance, often expressed in watt-hours per liter or per kilogram. The script emphasizes that SSBs have a higher energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries, meaning they can store more energy in a smaller space, which is a critical advantage for applications like electric vehicles (EVs) where space and weight are at a premium.

💡Anode-Free Battery

An anode-free battery is a type of SSB where the lithium metal itself acts as the anode, eliminating the need for a separate anode material. QuantumScape's innovation is highlighted in the script, where they use a dendrite-resistant solid electrolyte separator, allowing for faster charging and higher energy density due to the elimination of the anode bottleneck.

💡Dendrite Growth

Dendrite growth refers to the formation of metal spikes that can develop within a battery as it cycles over time. These dendrites can cause short circuits or even puncture the battery, leading to potential safety hazards. The script explains how SSBs, particularly QuantumScape's anode-free design, mitigate this issue by using a solid electrolyte separator that resists dendrite formation.

💡Cycle Life

Cycle life is the number of times a battery can be charged and discharged before its performance significantly degrades. The script compares the cycle life of SSBs, including QuantumScape's QSE-5, with that of Tesla's lithium-ion batteries, indicating that SSBs have the potential for longer cycle lives, which is beneficial for reducing replacement frequency and extending the lifespan of devices like EVs.

💡Charge Time

Charge time is the duration required to fully charge a battery. The script discusses the significantly reduced charge time of SSBs, such as QuantumScape's QSE-5, which can be charged to full in less than 15 minutes. This is a major advantage over current lithium-ion batteries, as it addresses one of the main concerns for EV adoption—the time it takes to recharge a vehicle.

💡Sulfide-Based Solid Electrolyte

A sulfide-based solid electrolyte is a type of electrolyte material used in SSBs that offers high ionic conductivity, flexibility, and heat resistance. Solid Power's SSBs, as mentioned in the script, use this type of electrolyte, which allows for faster charging times and potentially easier manufacturing processes, contributing to cost savings and making SSBs more viable for mass production.

💡Roll-to-Roll Processing

Roll-to-roll processing is a manufacturing technique where materials are processed in a continuous roll or web format. The script highlights that sulfide solid state batteries can be produced using this method, which is common in the industry and can lead to cost-effective manufacturing at scale, helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with producing SSBs.

💡FlexFrame

FlexFrame is an innovative battery housing design by QuantumScape that accommodates the expansion of lithium-metal batteries during fast charging. The script describes how the FlexFrame design includes a central pouch that can swell without affecting the battery's ability to be tightly stacked, which is crucial for maximizing space, weight, and energy density in EV applications.

💡Mass Market

The mass market refers to the broad consumer market where products are widely available for purchase. The script discusses the potential timeline for SSBs to hit the mass market, with predictions from both QuantumScape and Solid Power suggesting that EVs powered by SSBs could become commonplace by 2028, indicating a significant milestone in the adoption of this technology.

Highlights

Solid state batteries (SSBs) are expected to come to market soon, with advanced SSBs from QuantumScape and Solid Power leading the way.

SSBs are more energy dense, longer-lasting, safer, smaller, and have the potential to charge faster than current lithium-ion batteries.

QuantumScape and Solid Power are on schedule for commercialization, with QuantumScape aiming for 2024 and Solid Power predicting regular use in EVs by 2028.

QuantumScape's core innovation is their anode-free battery, using a dendrite-resistant solid electrolyte separator, which allows for faster charging and higher energy density.

QuantumScape’s battery can charge to full in less than 15 minutes, which is a significant advantage for electric vehicles (EVs).

QuantumScape's battery design eliminates the need for an anode, reducing costs and increasing space and weight efficiency.

QuantumScape's battery is expected to have a lifespan of over 2,000 cycles, comparable to current lithium EV batteries.

Solid Power uses a sulfide-based solid electrolyte separator, offering high ionic conductivity, flexibility, and heat resistance.

Solid Power’s sulfide-based separator can be manufactured using common roll-to-roll equipment, reducing costs and avoiding supply chain issues.

Solid Power claims their batteries can be produced for 15-35% less cost compared to competitors, addressing a major limitation of solid state batteries.

QuantumScape and Solid Power are making significant progress with small batch productions and preparing for large-scale manufacturing.

QuantumScape's upcoming “Cobra” production system is expected to allow gigawatt-scale mass production by 2025.

Solid Power has partnered with SK Group and received significant investments from Ford to boost their production capabilities.

Both QuantumScape and Solid Power are addressing the challenges of manufacturing solid state batteries, aiming for efficient and cost-effective production.

The outlook for solid state batteries is promising, with both companies making strides towards overcoming engineering and manufacturing challenges.

Transcripts

00:00

If I said that solid state batteries (or  SSBs) were coming to the market soon,  

00:03

would you believe me? What if I told you that  some of the most advanced SSBs ever made are  

00:08

right around the corner? And that the pilot  programs and production facilities are already  

00:12

in the works? I wouldn’t believe me either, but  it's true. For the longest time, SSBs have been  

00:17

one of those revolutionary breakthroughs that  was always just another five or so years away.  

00:22

But now two companies, QuantumScape and Solid  Power, are on schedule for commercialization.  

00:27

So how exactly are they bringing their SSBs  to the market? And what makes them special?

00:32

I’m Matt Ferrell … welcome to Undecided. 

00:41

This video is brought to you by  Brilliant, but more on that later.

00:44

Solid state batteries have been hyped up for years  and it’s easy to see why. Compared to the current  

00:49

gold standard of lithium-ion (LI) batteries,  solid state batteries are more energy dense,  

00:53

longer-lasting, safer, smaller, and  have the potential to charge faster.  

00:59

I think we’d all appreciate an EV that  can charge to full in just a few minutes,  

01:02

or a laptop that only needs to be charged once  or twice a week. Either that or a laptop or phone  

01:07

that has the same battery life we have today, but  is impossibly thin because of a smaller battery.

01:13

Unfortunately, solid state batteries are one of  those technological breakthroughs that’s had some  

01:17

trouble actually breaking through. While a vast  variety of solid state batteries made from all  

01:22

sorts of different materials have performed well  in lab settings, getting them onto the market has  

01:27

proven to be challenging. Both Solid Power and  QuantumScape have supposedly solved that issue,  

01:32

but for this to make sense, let’s brush up  on some solid state battery basics first.

01:36

We’ve talked about SSBs on the channel, many, many  times, so I’ll keep this brief. In an ordinary  

01:43

battery, you have a cathode and anode. These are  separated by a, uh, _separator_ ... and a liquid  

01:49

electrolyte solution that allows ions to flow  freely between the two sides during charge and  

01:54

discharge. Liquid electrolytes, however, are prone  to leakage, thermal runaway and dendrite growth.  

02:00

Dendrites are essentially metal spikes that grow  as the battery is cycled over time. They can cause  

02:05

the battery to short out, or even puncture it,  which in rare cases can result in explosions.

02:10

So, why not replace the liquid electrolyte  with a more stable solid? Congratulations,  

02:15

you now understand the “solid” of solid  state. And as we noted just a moment ago,  

02:20

solid state batteries tend to be lighter and  more energy dense than the competition. This  

02:24

is because a solid electrolyte can get the same  amount of umph as a liquid one in less space.  

02:29

This makes them pretty tantalizing for  EVs, where weight and power are critical.  

02:34

Seems like its all upsides, so what’s stopping  these batteries from hitting the mass market? It  

02:39

mostly comes down to materials and manufacturing.  solid state battery components are finicky. They  

02:44

require very specific manufacturing techniques and  specialized machinery. Typically, their cores are  

02:49

made out of ceramic or glass and are challenging  to mass produce. And for most solid electrolytes,  

02:55

even a little bit of moisture can lead to  failures or safety issues. As a result,  

02:59

solid state batteries need to be manufactured  in extremely controlled conditions. The actual  

03:04

manufacturing process is also very labor-intensive  right now, especially compared to traditional  

03:10

lithium-ion batteries. That all adds up to make  manufacturing them prohibitively expensive.

03:15

So how are QuantumScape and Solid Power  dealing with these challenges? What solid  

03:19

state battery formulations did they go with?  And why are their batteries leading the pack?

03:24

Let’s dive into QuantumScape first. It feels like  everytime we talk about solid state batteries,  

03:28

they seem to show up. Based in California,  QuantumScape has spent years leading up  

03:33

to their first commercial product, the  QSE-5 solid state battery. Previously,  

03:37

QuantumScape has said they were aiming  for commercial battery production in 2024,  

03:42

and credit where it's due, they’re  pretty close to hitting that deadline.

03:45

One of QuantumScape’s core innovations is their  anode-free battery, which sounds bananas. As I  

03:51

mentioned earlier all batteries have an  anode and cathode. Normally a silicon or  

03:55

graphite anode stores the lithium atoms  until they are ready to be discharged.  

04:00

Instead, they’re using a highly  dendrite-resistant solid electrolyte  

04:03

separator. This allows the lithium metal  itself to act as the anode. Ordinarily,  

04:08

the lithium has to diffuse through another  anode material, which creates a bottleneck that  

04:11

slows charging speed. But Quantumscape’s method  eliminates this bottleneck, so its battery is far  

04:17

more energy dense. The end result: shorter travel  distance for ions and overall faster charging.

04:23

solid state batteries charge fast alright —  that’s part of the draw. But by eliminating  

04:27

the anode bottleneck, QuantumScape's battery  can charge to full in less than 15 minutes.  

04:31

This is especially important for the world of  electric vehicles (EVs). Along with range-anxiety,  

04:35

one of the remaining EV-adoption  hurdles is charge time. As long  

04:39

as it’s faster to fill a gas tank than  charge a battery, some people are going  

04:43

to have their doubts about EVs. That’s why  QuantumScape is angling for the EV market.

04:48

Speaking of the market, that’s another  benefit of the anode-less design:  

04:51

Quatumscape doesn’t need to spend money on  making an anode. Considering that cost is  

04:55

one of the things holding back solid state  batteries, every little bit helps. It also  

05:00

saves some space and weight, which again,  are important considerations in the EV-world.

05:04

And there’s even more benefits to QuantumScape’s  design, which I’ll get to in a minute.  

05:08

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05:12

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05:44

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channel. Like I mentioned earlier, there’s  other benefits to QuantumScape’s design.

06:12

And there’s yet more benefits to QuantumScape’s  design: it increases the batteries lifespan.  

06:15

The anode is where a lot of those nasty,  life-shortening chemical reactions take  

06:18

place. Without that anode, QuantumScape claims  their battery can go for 2,000+ cycles. Most  

06:24

lithium EV batteries can run for around 1,500  to 2,000 cycles, so QSE-5 isn’t lagging here.

06:31

Another neat feature of the QSE-5 is its  housing. Lithium-metal batteries like the  

06:35

QSE-5 have a tendency to balloon up if you  fast-charge them. If you’re planning to stack  

06:39

a bunch of these batteries together, like for an  EV battery pack, this can be difficult to engineer  

06:44

around. So QuantumScape has forgone the usual  cylindrical battery frame, opting for a combo  

06:49

box-and-pouch they’re calling the FlexFrame.  There's a central pouch that’s built to swell,  

06:55

and when it does, it rises until it's flush with  the boxy frame. This little engineering trick  

07:00

ensures that the batteries have room to grow  and shrink while remaining tightly stackable.  

07:04

Pretty clever when you’re trying to maximize  the space, weight and energy density for an EV.

07:09

Let’s turn now to Colorado-based Solid Power.  Rather than changing up their architecture,  

07:14

they’ve got a novel battery formulation. The  company has three batteries that are approaching  

07:18

commercialization, all with a sulfide-based  solid electrolyte separator. We'll focus  

07:23

on their Silicon EV battery though, because  that’s the furthest along. Their solid sulfide  

07:28

separator offers the usual solid state battery  benefits along with its own interesting perks.

07:34

Sulfides have great ionic conductivity, with  some even close to liquid electrolytes. This  

07:38

means that lithium ions can travel through  sulfide-based separators with less resistance,  

07:43

helping with faster charging times. They’re  also flexible, so they can roll with punches  

07:47

instead of snapping like more common and brittle  glass or ceramic solid state battery separators.  

07:52

These materials have shown remarkable heat  resistance, which is great because batteries,  

07:56

even solid state ones, do tend to get  pretty hot. And recent studies suggest  

08:00

sulfides can be moisture resistant when properly  treated. Considering how temperamental solid  

08:05

electrolytes can be around moisture, this has  the potential to make manufacturing much easier.

08:10

Ease of manufacturing might be sulfide's  greatest strength. Sulfide solid state  

08:14

batteries can be produced with roll-to-roll  battery manufacturing equipment, which is  

08:18

very common in the industry. And sulfides  can be manufactured relatively cheaply from  

08:23

abundant materials too, helping them avoid  many supply chain issues. All together,  

08:28

Solid Power claims they can manufacture its  solid state batteries for cost savings of  

08:32

15-35% less than their competitors. Seeing as  the price is one of the major limiting factors  

08:37

of solid state batteries, that kind of  cost saving is nothing to sneeze at.

08:42

Now that you have a handle on who  we’re dealing with, let’s dive into  

08:45

the nitty-gritty stats. Which battery is  better for an EV? Which will hit the market  

08:49

first? And what challenges still remain? ## QuantumScape & Solid Power Pros & Cons 

08:52

Rather than slow things down by listing off the  stats one-by-one, we’ve got a graphic for you.

08:56

In addition to the QSE-5 and  Solid Power’s EV battery,  

08:59

I’ve also added Solid Power’s other batteries.  And for the sake of context, we compare these  

09:04

batteries with Tesla’s 4680 cylindrical cells,  currently used in the popular Tesla Model Y,  

09:10

and now with the Cybertruck. If this looks  intimidating, don’t worry. We’ll break it down.

09:15

Let’s look first at volumetric density. This  is a measure of how much energy a battery  

09:19

can store within one liter of its volume. The  denser the battery, the bigger the “tank,” so  

09:24

to speak. Tesla weighs in at around 622 Wh/L,  the QSE-5 beats that by about 200 watt-hours,  

09:33

and that in turn is bested by Solid Power  by around a hundred watt-hours and change.

09:37

There's no definitive evidence or statement  for how far a car with QSE-5 or Solid Power  

09:42

EV battery will go on a single charge.  However, the less dense Tesla Model Ys  

09:47

are estimated to run for 300 to 330 miles  (or 482 to 531 KM) on a single charge,  

09:55

so it’s likely the solid state batteries  will rove for a fair bit further.

09:59

Next we have cycle life … and I’m not talking  about e-bikes. This is the amount of times a  

10:04

battery can be fully charged and then  fully discharged before its capacity  

10:07

starts to fall off significantly. You can  see that Tesla clocks in between 1000-2000  

10:12

cycles. Solid Power fits on the lower end  while the QSE-5 leans toward the upper end.

10:18

Now let’s talk charge time. Tesla’s batteries  can “supercharge" in 15 to 25 minutes,  

10:23

but it's not recommended. Charging  your car this fast on a daily basis  

10:27

can really shorten its lifespan. Tesla  says you should go for a more casual  

10:31

home charging method that’ll give you a  full charge in 8 to 12 hours. But solid  

10:35

state batteries? Both QSE-5 and Solid Power’s  batteries can readily do charge times of 15  

10:41

minutes with minimal side effects, though they  achieve this through very different methods.

10:45

For Solid Power, sulfides’ softness  is the solution (try saying that 10  

10:50

times fast). Just like it's easier  to swim through water than Jell-O,  

10:53

it's easier for ions to move through the softer  sulfides than some other separators. Fast,  

10:58

smooth-sailin’ ions equals fast charge  times. Meanwhile, QuantumScape is fast  

11:03

because their oxide separator can handle  higher voltages. This is a clunky explanation,  

11:09

but a higher voltage means we can “force”  more ions through the separator. In this case,  

11:13

more ions equals fast charge times. Higher  voltages tend to speed up dendrite growth  

11:18

and cut into the battery’s lifespan, but  the QSE-5 is tough enough to handle ‘em.

11:23

Last, but far from least, there’s  the release dates. Which battery is  

11:27

making it to the market first? Both companies  are already capable of making small batches of  

11:31

their batteries. QuantumScape hasn’t  issued an official commercialization  

11:34

timeline. The company is pleased with  the small batches it can do right now  

11:39

and is preparing to introduce and scale-up  their “Cobra” production system in 2025.

11:46

QuantumScape claims that this will allow them  to mass-produce solid state batteries at the  

11:50

gigawatt scale. From there it shouldn’t be  too much longer to full commercialization.  

11:54

Solid Power hasn’t issued an official mass  market goal date either, though their CEO,  

11:58

John Van Scoter, told the Denver Post last  September that he predicts 2028 will be the  

12:03

year that EVs are regularly powered by solid  state batteries, Solid Power’s included. So  

12:09

while neither battery is hitting the market next  year, these are significant milestones, and it’s  

12:13

looking like we truly have broken away from  the “just another 5 years, please” catchphrase.

12:18

I do want to temper some of the excitement by  drawing attention to the engineering problems  

12:21

that still remain for each style of solid state  battery. For sulfides, their vulnerability to  

12:26

dendrites still needs to be addressed. We’ve found  a few ways to tackle this issue but none of them  

12:30

are perfect. Running the sulfide battery extra hot  fights dendrite growth, but it also means adding  

12:35

extra heat management devices. That cuts into the  cost and weight. We could put the sulfide battery  

12:41

under pressure, but that’s tricky to do outside  of the lab. Running the battery on low power could  

12:45

also work. Though, it’s a bummer to have a high  performance battery and not let it perform highly.

12:51

QuantumScape’s oxides have their own issues. Most  notably, it’s still challenging to mass produce  

12:56

them. This is because they must be sintered  together at  

12:58

very high temperatures, an expensive and energy  intensive process. Meanwhile, sulfides can be made  

13:03

relatively cheaply and easily with some common  industry techniques like roll-to-roll processing.

13:08

## Which is Better? So, which battery is  

13:09

better? There’s no clear cut answer. They’re  at slightly different stages of maturity,  

13:13

with different strengths and weaknesses. As  we often find with these sorts of things,  

13:17

neither is a silver bullet. I think  each one will settle into its own niche.

13:22

I want to re-emphasize that the outlook for  both batteries is promising, at least at the  

13:26

time of writing. Last year, QuantumScape  deployed the very-cool sounding “Raptor,”  

13:30

a high speed throughput separator process that  allowed them to efficiently produce some QSE-5  

13:35

prototypes for its auto company partners like  Volkswagen. It’s planning on shipping their A2  

13:40

round of samples to its partners for further  testing this year. But if you liked Raptor,  

13:45

you’re gonna love Cobra. We mentioned it a  moment ago, but Cobra is the upgrade to Raptor,  

13:50

and should help QuantumScape affordably mass  produce its oxide separator at triple the current  

13:54

speed.[^31 That said, the QuantumScape team does  caution that the Cobra is a work in progress,  

13:59

so it’s not like the manufacturing  challenges are done and dusted.

14:03

For their part, late last year Solid Power inked  a deal with SK Group, the biggest company in  

14:08

Korea behind Samsung. This three-year contract  gave Solid Power a $20 million boost on top of  

14:13

an earlier $130 million investment from Ford.  Thanks to this kind of support, Solid Power is  

14:19

already capable of producing 1.1 million metric  tons of their sulfide electrolyte per month! The  

14:25

company’s own A1 cells are already out the door,  and it’s planning to have its A2 cells out soon.

14:31

With that in mind, I still want to be careful  and not overhype solid state batteries and feed  

14:36

into the idea that they’re a holy grail and  _the_ thing to hold out hope for. solid state  

14:40

batteries are going to be huge when they  hit, but they need a little more time. So  

14:44

if you’ve been waiting until solid state  batteries are around to switch to EVs or  

14:48

install home energy storage, I’d quit waiting  and get the product that fits your needs today.

14:53

But what do you think? Do you think solid state  is the next big thing and worth waiting for?  

14:57

Jump into the comments and let me know and be  sure to listen to my follow up podcast Still  

15:01

TBD where we’ll keep this conversation  going. I’ll see you in the next one.

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Solid State BatteriesElectric VehiclesQuantumScapeSolid PowerBattery TechnologyEV ChargingEnergy DensityLithium-IonInnovationManufacturing Challenges
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