Ford/BMW 840 million bets on solid-state batteries

According to foreign media news, Ford and BMW recently stated that they are jointly leading a US$130 million (approximately RMB 840 million) investment in solid-state battery startup SolidPower in conjunction with venture capital VoltaEnergy Technologies. Prior to this investment, Ford and Volta Energy Technologies jointly participated in SolidPower's $26 million A round of fundraising in 2018, when Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics also participated in fundraising. The BMW Group also cooperated with SolidPower for solid-state batteries used in electric vehicles as early as 2017. Public information shows that SolidPower was established in 2012 and is a solid-state battery manufacturer in Colorado, USA, which is mainly used in electric vehicles and aerospace fields. In October 2020, it announced the production and delivery of the first generation of 2Ah all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) with an energy density of 320Wh/kg. According to SolidPower, each battery produced by it does not contain any liquid or gel material, which is a true solid-state battery with high safety. At present, it has carried out product verification with strategic partners and confirmed the possibility of mass production. The B round of financing will accelerate SolidPower's expansion of internal manufacturing capabilities and promote the mass production of its solid-state battery products. As the commanding heights of the next generation of lithium battery technology, solid-state batteries have become a technological high ground for domestic and foreign car companies and battery companies, including international car companies such as Volkswagen, Hyundai Motor, BMW, Toyota, and General Motors, NIO, CATL, Hive, Huineng , Ganfeng Lithium, Qingtao, Weilan and other domestic companies are also accelerating Ru0026D and deployment in the field of solid-state batteries. At present, new breakthroughs have been made in products and technologies. For example, QuantumScape, a solid-state battery company in which Volkswagen invested, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange last year. Its solid-state battery has a volumetric energy density of more than 1000 watt-hours per liter, can supply 380 to 500 wh/kg of energy, and supports a fast charging function of 80% full charge in 15 minutes. Hyundai Motor is cooperating with battery companies such as Samsung SDI, SKI and LG New Energy to promote the development and mass production of solid-state batteries; General Motors has reached a cooperation with Massachusetts Solid Energy (SES) and plans to launch it before 2023 Prototype battery. NIO, a new force in car-making, also has a 150kWh battery pack in January this year, which can achieve an energy density of 360Wh/kg, and is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2022. However, its battery supplier has not yet been announced, and the industry speculates that it may be Ningde Times, Qingtao, Weilan, and Huineng Technology. Honeycomb Energy has made breakthroughs in the research and development of semi-solid battery technology. It is the first to launch the first 'non-fire, self-healing' new battery jelly battery based on a cobalt-free material system. In April, it joined hands with the Academy of Sciences to build a solid-state battery technology research center. .