Toyota And Sumitomo Metal Announce Mass Production Of Tough Katoda Materials For Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state battery structure. (Photo: Toyota Global)

TOKYO The future of electric vehicles is getting brighter with the big steps taken by Toyota Motor Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM). The two Japanese industrial giants are officially collaborating to develop and mass-produce cathode materials that will be used on all-solid-state batteries, a technology that is touted as a major leap in the evolution of electric cars.

This collaboration is part of Toyota's strategy to present a new generation of electric vehicle (BEV) battery that is more efficient and powered. The world's largest automaker targets to start marketing electric cars with solid-state batteries by 2027 or 2028.

It is known, solid-state batteries themselves are considered a future technology because they offer advantages far beyond conventional lithium-ion batteries. With the use of solid electrolytes, these batteries are able to deliver longer distances, faster charging times, and high resistance to degradation due to repeated charging. In addition, a more concise dimension allows space efficiency without sacrificing performance.

Quoted from the Toyota Global media room, Friday, October 9, Toyota and Sumitomo Metal have been conducting joint research since 2021, to address one of the main challenges of developing solid-state batteries, namely the degradation of cathode materials during the long-term use cycle. Through this research, they succeeded in developing high-resistant cathode materials, thanks to Sumitomo Metal's exclusive powder synthesis technology.

With more than two decades of experience in supplying cathode materials for electric vehicles, Sumitomo Metal is now preparing to mass-produce this new material. The two companies affirmed their ambition to be the first in the world to successfully implement solid-state batteries practically on mass-produced electric vehicles.

This strategic step will not only strengthen Toyota's position in global battery technology competition, but will also be an important foundation towards the future of emission-free mobility and carbon-neutral communities. The world is now waiting whether Toyota and Sumitomo Metal collaborations will be key to the birth of a new era of super efficient electric cars on the highway. In fact, it is said that electric cars with this type of battery only need to be charged once a month.