Samsung SDI reveals solid state battery roadmap

South Korean battery materials firm Samsung SDI has unveiled its roadmap for the mass production of solid state batteries from 2027.

Last year the firm established a pilot production line at its R&D centre in the north western city of Suwon, and is currently delivering prototype samples to OEMs.

Once testing is complete the firm will refine the product, establish a full production line and agree supply deals with customers before production begins.

"Samsung SDI's preparations for mass-producing […] solid-state battery are well underway,” says Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-ho Choi.

The solid-state batteries will have an energy density of 900 watt-hours per litre — a 40pc improvement on the energy density of the firm's P5 lithium-ion battery currently in production.

Peer-reviewed studies on the battery cells have been published in scientific journal Nature Energy.

“An all-solid-state battery with a lithium metal anode is a strong candidate for surpassing conventional lithium-ion battery capabilities,” says the study.

Solid state batteries have the potential to offer better energy density, faster charging times, a wider operating temperature range and a simpler, more scalable manufacturing process than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Other firms are also looking at the technology. Toyota has been developing solid-state batteries with Japanese electronics company Panasonic since April 2020.

US solid state battery firm Quantum Scape (QS) has also seen “exceptional results” from prototypes of its first commercial solid state battery — due to be launched in 2025. The firm shipped its first prototype cells to prospective customers in the forth quarter of last year, and has been progressively releasing results from its testing.