Toyota Touts Solid State EVs With 932-Mile Range, 10-Minute Charging by 2027

pcmag.com:

Toyota says it has found a technological breakthrough that will allow it to bring solid state batteries to market as early as 2027.

It's one of several advanced battery technologies that will underscore the brand's new EV focus as it pivots away from its former CEO's hybrid-centric strategy.

Solid state batteries promise greater energy density, higher electric range, and faster charging that puts refueling time on-par with a gas-powered vehicle. Scientists, researchers, and automakers have spent decades trying to crack the code on their commercialization, but so far no EVs have them, including Toyota's own offerings: the Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ.

But Toyota says it has found a new material that gets around one of the core issues with solid state batteries: Their longevity.

"We found quality material," Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima said at a press event in Japan this week, as reported(Opens in a new window) by Nikkei Asia. "We'll keep up with the rest of the world and definitely put it to practical use."

The next challenge will be mass production. Toyota says its breakthrough batteries will hit the market in 2027 or 2028, giving its EVs 745 miles of range—significantly greater than any gas-powered car today—with 10-minute charging times.

Eventually, Toyota's plans include vehicles with 932-mile range and less than 10-minute charging times. In comparison, the best-selling EV today, the Tesla Model Y, has a maximum 330-mile range and 15-minute charging via Tesla Supercharger.

Toyota is one of many automakers trying to commercialize solid state batteries. In November 2022, Honda announced a new polymer fabric that would get around the longevity problem. It plans to release an EV with a solid state battery by