BMW joins Volkswagen in the race for next level EV batteries

By: Bloomberg
Updated on: 20 Apr 2021, 09:39 AM

Share Via

Follow us on:

The lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles currently on sale have a liquid electrolyte between the anode and cathode.

A charging cable is pictured plugged into a Volvo electric vehicle (EV), parked in a parking bay reserved for electric vehicles, in London on November 18, 2020. - Britain will ban petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030 as part of a 10-point plan for a "green industrial revolution" to be unveiled Wednesday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The British premier has earmarked �12 billion (13.4 billion euros, $15.9 billion) for the wide-ranging plans, which he hopes will secure up to 250,000 jobs and help meet a target for the UK to become carbon neutral by 2050. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (AFP)

BMW AG will build a prototype of a solid-state battery car before 2025, joining an accelerating race for a technology that promises to boost the power and range of electric vehicles.

The automaker said its researchers are working “intensively" on solid state batteries, calling cell storage the central plank of its electric vehicle shift. The pledge will see BMW take on Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and other major manufacturers in a fight to get the nascent system in vehicles over the coming years.

“By the end of the decade we will have an automotive-grade solid state battery for use in our car series," BMW development chief Frank Weber said at an event in Munich.

Also Read : India on verge of becoming number one electric vehicle maker: Nitin Gadkari

The lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles currently on sale have a liquid electrolyte between the anode and cathode. Solid state batteries would swap the liquid for a solid, improving performance and safety.

“They can add range, slash charging time and eliminate the fire risk," said BNEF energy storage analyst Cecilia L’Ecluse in a report published Monday. “That is a very big deal."