Toyota Will Release Bipolar And Solid State Car Batteries, Fully Charged In Just 10 Minutes

The Toyota FT-Se concept car was exhibited at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday (25/20/2023). (Antara/Pamela Sakina)

JAKARTA - President & Executive Chief Engineer of Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing, Yoshinki Konishi, recently said that Toyota will debut the latest battery technology, namely solid-state and bipolar batteries from 2027 to 2028.

"Our target in 2027-2028 is to commercialize solid-state, and to use bipolar. So bipolar first, a year later solid-state," he told a number of Indonesian media in Tokyo, Japan.

Yoshinki claims that this battery can cut the charging duration much more concisely, namely in less than 10 minutes the battery can be full or reach 100 percent.

"Compared to current battery technology, there is a huge difference in improvement, the charging time is shorter, and the distance traveled is also longer," explained Yoshinki as quoted by Antara.

At the start of its introduction, Yoshinki explained that this battery technology is not only available for battery electric vehicles (BEV), but also plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) and hybrid EV (HEV).

Even though solid-state batteries could change the electric vehicle industry in the future, manufacturing such battery technology still requires quite a high cost. However, Yoshinki said that bipolar batteries, which will be released first, cost much less than solid-state.

"I think solid-state batteries are a game changer for the future. But at the moment they are still very expensive in terms of cost. The bipolar structure is better than monopolar, the range, charging time is better, and cost is much cheaper than solid-state, he added.

The advantage of bipolar batteries is their higher energy density compared to conventional monopolar designs. This means increased power output and greater driving range in electric vehicles.

Then, bipolar batteries provide higher energy efficiency with faster charging rates. Its compact shape can also maximize space utilization and reduce the weight burden.

With fewer components and an efficient production process, bipolar batteries have the potential to save costs in manufacturing, making them more viable for mass adoption.