Mercedes CTO Suggests Stable-State Batteries Not Important

Stable-state battery know-how is broadly anticipated to be the subsequent massive factor within the EV world, because it guarantees increased vitality density, decrease price and extra security than present Li-ion designs.

Nevertheless, Mercedes Chief Know-how Officer Markus Schäfer just lately voiced a contrarian view, saying that solid-state batteries “might not be crucial,” due to developments in lithium-ion-based battery tech.

Talking to journalists at CES 2024, Schäfer mentioned he doesn’t see that solid-state cells have “a serious price benefit or vitality benefit” as a result of “so many individuals have labored on the standard cells, making them so significantly better.”

SEE ALSO – Stable-state battery tech: What’s near commercialization, and what’s nonetheless years away?

Schäfer sounded pessimistic that the price of EVs generally could be dropping any time quickly. “We all know the electrical drivetrain continues to be far more costly than a combustion drivetrain. That’s a reality. We do our battery analysis; we now have our labs. I don’t actually see a sport changer approaching price manufacturing for batteries, not a major one.”

Delivering a manufacturing battery that provides the specified vitality density, price and security enhancements is taking longer than many within the business anticipated, Schäfer mentioned. In the meantime, lithium-ion battery improvement hasn’t been standing nonetheless.

“There have been some very optimistic forecasts some time in the past,” Schäfer mentioned. “It jogs my memory a bit of forecasting autonomous driving. We invested in some cool startups right here within the US and Korea in solid-state, and I’m watching the large names on this…however for me, it’s a head-to-head race now.”

Schäfer conceded that solid-state batteries may have a security benefit, however famous that battery makers have been making security enhancements to Li-ion battery packs, which more and more function influence safety and different safeguards to keep away from harm that may trigger fires.

Supply: SlashGear