So what’s the situation with EVs and solid state batteries already?
Electrek spoke with Dr. Greg Hitz, founder and CTO at Beltsville, Maryland-based ION Storage Systems, about what solid state batteries are, why they’re considered the “unicorn” of battery technology, and why they have yet to hit the market, and how his company is working to move the needle.
Electrek: Could you explain what solid state batteries are, what they’re used for, and how they differ from lithium-ion batteries?
Greg Hitz: Solid state batteries replace the flammable liquid electrolyte in a traditional lithium-ion battery with a solid electrolyte that serves the same function. They’re generally accepted as the key to unlocking the safety and energy density required for advanced electric vehicles and electrified flight.
It’s important to note, though, that not all solid state batteries are created equal. The different materials and configurations that underlie solid state battery technologies matter for safety, performance, energy density, and manufacturability.
Electrek: Solid state batteries are often referred to as the “unicorn” of battery technology. Why is that?
Greg Hitz: It’s a great analogy – you’ve never seen a solid state battery just like you’ve never seen a unicorn. Solid state batteries have long had the potential to outperform the batteries you see in most EV’s today; longer range, shorter recharge times, they’re safer. But nobody has yet shown that solid state batteries can deliver on their performance promise without making major sacrifices during battery pack integration like heating or compression requirements and can be produced with scalable manufacturing techniques.
Electrek: Why haven’t solid state batteries taken off yet?
Greg Hitz: No solid state battery manufacturer has yet to offer a 100% solution. Looking across the industry, there are technologies that have incredible rate performance, great energy density, strong safety, scalable manufacturing, and simple pack integration, but no single product offers all of that without significantly compromising one or more of the other aspects.
This is where we think ION differs from other technologies. Our first market customer will get a battery manufactured in the US that offers 40% more energy than their current solution and meets their needs on rate performance, cycle life, and production costs, all while inherently safe.
After our first market release, our second-generation product will incorporate future developments that will hugely extend the reach of the technology: doubling energy density, increased rate performance, order of magnitude decreases in production cost, qualifying long cycle life, and all the other targets required for wider market release such as EV production.
Electrek: How could solid state batteries achieve scale?
Greg Hitz: Scaling is hard and scaling batteries is even harder.
First, you need to design your battery to use plentiful, inexpensive resources. Cobalt and nickel are expensive and hard to source. ION has developed a battery with a lithium-free anode that supports nickel and cobalt-free cathodes.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, you need to design a battery that’s suited for manufacturing. The biggest targets here are energy-per-area – because cost of production is generally a per-area basis and batteries are sold per-energy – and use of highly scaled existing processing techniques.
Third, you need to create a win-win for manufacturing partners in the ecosystem. Solid state battery manufacturing is a whole new industry and there’s no widely scaled product that exists without an industry behind it. Look at the number of component suppliers for electric vehicles or for lithium-ion batteries. Dozens of companies contribute to the production of each unit sold. That complete package doesn’t yet exist in solid state batteries.
Lastly, you have to be in production to improve your production. That’s why we’re rolling out to smaller markets before we scale to EV. The pain of early production focuses the innovation and makes our EV production stronger.
Electrek: Why have cobalt and nickel become a source of pain for battery makers, and what other obstacles are there?
Greg Hitz: The only game in town for high energy density batteries right now is a nickel- and cobalt-based chemistry. There are alternatives, though.
Auto OEMs are switching to plentiful but less energy dense lithium iron phosphate chemistries for their shorter-range vehicles. Advanced nickel- and cobalt-free cathodes – incompatible with lithium-ion – that offer higher energy density without supply chain constraints exist, and have been waiting patiently for a technology to enable them.
ION’s platform technology is uniquely enabling to these plentiful and greater energy density chemistries and has been demonstrated with these cathodes, including sulfur and high voltage spinel chemistries, to name a few.
Electrek: Where are we in sourcing minerals ethically and sustainably for solid state batteries?
Greg Hitz: Solid state batteries unlock completely new chemistries, but that opportunity has to be intentionally harnessed to move to ethical and sustainable supply chains. We’ve worked with suppliers to achieve North American mineral sourcing and are working with recyclers to plan for end-of-life.
Photo: ION Storage Systems
Dr. Greg Hitz led the development of the multilayer garnet structure and co-founded Ion Storage Systems. He brings his experience in Good Manufacturing Practice to the company’s research culture, leading to an efficient transition from lab research to manufacturing operations. Greg received his PhD in materials science & engineering and bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland.
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Burlingame, California-based Peak Energy just scored a huge win for sodium-ion batteries. The company announced a multi-year deal with utility-scale battery storage developer Jupiter Power to supply up to 4.75 GWh of sodium-ion battery systems between 2027 and 2030.
Under the agreement, Peak will deliver 720 MWh of storage in 2027 – the largest single sodium-ion battery deployment announced so far. The deal also includes an option for an additional 4 GWh of capacity through 2030, bringing the total contract value to more than $500 million.
Sodium-ion vs. lithium-ion
Peak Energy says its sodium-ion batteries degrade less over time and have lower operations and maintenance costs than lithium-ion systems. Because the batteries don’t degrade as quickly, operators don’t need to add more capacity later in a project’s life to maintain performance. They also use a fully passive cooling system that eliminates pumps, fans, and other components used in lithium-ion setups, reducing maintenance and safety risks.
The company claims its grid-scale sodium-ion system uses up to 97% less auxiliary power, offers about 30% better cell degradation performance over 20 years, and comes with a lower total cost of ownership.
Why this deal matters
The agreement marks a significant step forward for the emerging sodium-ion sector, which has been gaining momentum as a safer and lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion for long-duration and grid-scale energy storage. It also underscores the growing effort to build a domestic sodium-ion battery supply chain in the US.
“From day one, we’ve believed sodium-ion will be the winning technology for grid-scale storage, which is essential to meet rising demand from hyperscalers and AI,” said Landon Mossburg, Peak Energy’s CEO and cofounder. “Deploying the world’s largest sodium-ion energy storage system with one of the nation’s top independent power producers proves that sodium is ready for today and will dominate the future.”
Mike Geier, CTO at Jupiter Power, said the company is “excited to support domestic battery energy storage manufacturing as we continue to increase the deployment of firm, dispatchable energy when and where it’s most needed,” and called Peak’s approach to sodium-ion “a potential game changer for the industry.”
Read more: The US’s first grid-scale sodium-ion battery is now online
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![The new 2026 Lexus ES is an upgrade in just about every way [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/new-2026-Lexus-ES-EV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Lexus claims the new ES “takes sedan styling, luxury, and refinement to a higher level” with a complete redesign. With the 2026 ES arriving soon, Lexus offered a closer look at the upgrades inside and out.
The new 2026 Lexus ES debuts in EV and hybrid forms
The eighth-gen ES is bringing more than a sharp new style. Lexus overhauled its flagship sedan from the ground up for the 2026 model year, which will include battery electric (BEV) and hybrid (HEV) powertrain options.
Inspired by the radical LF-ZC show car, the 2026 ES has been fully redesigned with what Lexus calls the “Experience Elegance and Electrified Sedan” concept, aimed at further refining the driving experience.
The new design centers on a redesigned “spindle body” that extends from the hood to the bumper. It also features a redesigned grille, replacing the signature Lexus spindle grille as the brand looks for a new identity in the electric era.
Inside, the new 2026 ES features the latest version of the Lexus Interface multimedia system. The setup includes a 14″ touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.3″ driver display cluster.
Based on the redesigned TNGA GA-K platform, the new ES will be available in battery electric (BEV) and hybrid (HEV) powertrains for the first time.
The 2026 Lexus ES lineup consists of two models: the ES 350e, a front-wheel-drive (FWD) model, and the ES 500e, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) model.
Lexus expects the ES 350e to have a driving range of 300 miles when fitted with 19″ wheels, while the ES 500e has an estimated driving range of 250 miles.
Both the ES 350e and 500e feature a built-in NACS port to recharge at Tesla Superchargers. Using DC fast charging, it can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes under “ideal conditions,” according to Lexus.
With its debut just around the corner, Lexus offered a closer look at the new 2026 ES inside and out in a new video.
Lexus has yet to announce prices, but the redesigned ES is expected to start at about $45,000 to $50,000, or slightly more than the outgoing model.
After launching the upgraded RZ earlier this month, Lexus said the ES would be next. It’s expected to go on sale in Spring 2026.
What do you think of the redesigned 2026 ES? Do you like the new Lexus design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Tesla has launched a new version of the Model Y in China, and it’s achieving an impressive new range rating – thanks to a new battery cell from South Korea’s LG.
The new variant, a five-seat, rear-wheel drive long-range model, has been released with an 821-km range based on China’s CLTC standard.
While the CLTC rating is known to be optimistic, 821 km (about 510 miles) is an impressive number and the longest range Tesla has offered in its Model Y lineup to date, which is going to help it be more competitive in the Chinese market.
This new extended range Model Y version is made possible by using the 78.4-kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack from LG Energy Solution, the same pack found in the also recently launched 830-km range Model 3 variant.
The new long-range RWD Model Y starts at RMB 288,500, which translates to just over $40,500 USD.
The launch comes at a critical time for Tesla in China, which has seen its sales slump in recent months. The automaker recorded its lowest monthly sales in October since November 2022, falling out of the top 10 list for new energy vehicle (NEV) sales.
That’s despite a continued surge in electric vehicle sales in China. Tesla is not benefiting from it amid strong competition.
According to local Chinese media reports, the new 821-km Model Y is already gaining traction with some anecdotal reports of enthusiasm at Tesla stores.
The reports are partly supported by Tesla quickly extending delivery timelines from 2-4 weeks to 4-6 weeks just hours after launch.
Electrek’s Take
I think this is going to be suitable for a decent short-term bump in demand, but it’s still on the expensive side for the Chinese market.
For example, now the Model Y beats the Xpeng G6’s max range of 755 km, but the G6 with this range costs 234,900 RMB (approximately $32,900 USD), which is significantly cheaper.
Every 10,000 RMB tranche lower means a lot more demand in China.
Tesla needs to launch its new “standard” versions to start making a difference with demand long term in China.
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