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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The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released an encouraging new report revealing that 90% of wind turbine materials are already recyclable using existing infrastructure, but tackling the remaining 10% needs innovation.
That’s why the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated over $20 million to develop technologies that address these challenges.
Why this matters
The wind energy industry is growing rapidly, but questions about what happens to turbines at the end of their life are critical. Recyclable wind turbines means not only less waste but also a more affordable and sustainable energy future.
According to Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “The US already has the ability to recycle most wind turbine materials, so achieving a fully sustainable domestic wind energy industry is well within reach.”
The report, titled, “Recycling Wind Energy Systems in the United States Part 1: Providing a Baseline for America’s Wind Energy Recycling Infrastructure for Wind Turbines and Systems,” identifies short-, medium-, and long-term research, development, and demonstration priorities along the life cycle of wind turbines. Developed by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with help from Oak Ridge and Sandia National Laboratories, the findings aim to guide future investments and technological innovations.
What’s easily recyclable and what’s not
The bulk of a wind turbine – towers, foundations, and steel-based drivetrain components – is relatively easy to recycle. However, components like blades, generators, and nacelle covers are tougher to process.
Blades, for instance, are often made from hard-to-recycle materials like thermoset resins, but switching to recyclable thermoplastics could be a game changer. Innovations like chemical dissolution and pyrolysis could make blade recycling more viable in the near future.
Critical materials like nickel, cobalt, and zinc used in generators and power electronics are particularly important to recover.
Key strategies for a circular economy
To make the wind energy sector fully sustainable, the DOE report emphasizes the adoption of measures such as:
- Better decommissioning practices – Improving how turbine materials are collected and sorted at the end of their life cycle.
- Strategic recycling sites – Locating recycling facilities closer to where turbines are decommissioned to reduce costs and emissions.
- Advanced material substitution – Using recyclable and affordable materials in manufacturing.
- Optimized material recovery – Developing methods to make recovered materials usable in second-life applications.
Looking ahead
The DOE’s research also underscores the importance of regional factors, such as the availability of skilled workers and transportation logistics, in building a cost-effective recycling infrastructure. As the US continues to expand its wind energy capacity, these findings provide a roadmap for minimizing waste and maximizing sustainability.
More information about the $20 million in funding available through the Wind Turbine Technology Recycling Funding Opportunity can be found here. Submission deadline is February 11.
Read more: The California grid ran on 100% renewables with no blackouts or cost rises for a record 98 days
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Mazda is finally stepping up with plans to build its first dedicated EV. The upcoming Mazda EV will be made in Japan and based on a new in-house platform. Here’s what we know about it so far.
The first dedicated Mazda EV is coming soon
Although Mazda isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think of electric vehicles, the Japanese automaker is finally taking a step in the right direction.
Mazda revealed on Monday that it plans to build a new module pack plant in Japan for cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells.
The new plant will use Panasonic Energy’s battery cells to produce modules and EV battery packs. Mazda plans to have up to 10 GWh of annual capacity at the facility. The battery packs will power Mazda’s first dedicated EV, which will also be built in Japan using a new electric vehicle platform.
Mazda said it’s “steadily preparing for electrification technologies” under its 2030 Management Plan. The strategy calls for a three-phase approach through 2030.
The first phase calls for using its existing technology. In the second stage, Mazda will introduce a new hybrid system and EV-dedicated vehicles in China.
The third and final phase calls for “the full-fledged launch” of EVs and battery production. By 2030, Mazda expects EVs to account for 25% to 40% of global sales.
Mazda launched the EZ-6, an electric sedan, in China last October. It starts at 139,800 yuan, or around $19,200, and is made by its Chinese joint venture, Changan Mazda.
Based on Changan’s hybrid platform, the electric sedan is offered in EV and extended-range (EREV) options. The all-electric model gets up to 600 km (372 miles) CLTC range with fast charging (30% to 80%) in 15 minutes.
At 4,921 mm long, 1,890 mm wide, and 1,485 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,895 mm, Mazda’s EZ-6 is about the size of a Tesla Model 3 (4,720 mm long, 1,922 mm wide, and 1,441 mm tall with a 2,875 mm wheelbase).
Inside, the electric sedan features a modern setup with a 14.6″ infotainment, a 10.1″ driver display screen, and a 50″ AR head-up display. It also includes zero-gravity reclining seats and smart features like voice control.
The EZ-6 is already off to a hot sales start, with 2,445 models sold in November. According to Changan Mazda, the new EV was one of the top three mid-size new energy vehicle (NEV) sedans of joint ventures sold in China in its first month listed.
Will Mazda’s first dedicated EV look like the EZ-6? We will find out with Mazda aiming to launch the first EV models on its new in-house platform in 2027. Stay tuned for more.
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