Mercedes-Benz tests world’s first solid-state battery EV with +621 miles range
The race for the “holy grail” of EV batteries is heating up. Mercedes-Benz is testing the world’s first production EV with a solid-state battery, promising to deliver over 621 miles of driving range.
Mercedes solid-state battery-powered EVs hit the road
Mercedes hit a big milestone, taking its solid-state EV battery tech from the lab to the real world. On Monday, the company announced it has officially put “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” through its partnership with US-based Factorial Energy.
On-road tests in a modified EQS began earlier this month following the first lab tests at the end of 2024. The EQS is slightly modified to fit the solid-state battery and other parts.
“Being the first to successfully integrate lithium-metal solid-state batteries into a production vehicle platform marks a historic achievement in electric mobility,” Factorial’s CEO, Siyu Huang, said after the accomplishment.
The new battery pack was developed by Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (HPP), a leading Formula 1 supplier.
Mercedes has been working with Factorial Energy since 2021 to launch the new battery cells, promising more driving range, faster charging, and efficiency. Last summer, Factorial delivered its first solid-state battery cells based on its propriety FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology).
Mercedes and Factorial took it a step further, revealing the more advanced all-solid-state Solstice battery in September.
The new batteries are being co-developed to power Mercedes’ next-gen electric models. With a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, the battery is safer and more efficient.
The holy grail of EV batteries
With a “breakthrough” energy density of 450 Wh/kg, Factorial said the new Solstice battery is expected to provide 80% more driving range than current lithium-ion batteries.
Although full specs have yet to be confirmed, Mercedes said the EQS’s 12-module battery housing was flexible enough for different configurations.
Mercedes expects the new battery to extend the driving range by about 25%. The current EQS 450+ rated with up to 511 WLTP miles range would suggest a driving range of over 620 miles.
Factorial aims to unlock over 600 miles of driving range with 40% weight savings compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. The company says Solstice is 33% smaller than a current 90 kWh battery at 580 lbs.
In December, Factorial announced a major milestone after its Solstice all-solid-state battery cells achieved 40 Ah capacity. The company is working with other major automakers, including Hyundai and Stellantis, to advance solid-state battery technology and aims to launch solid-state batteries by 2030.
According to Mercedes chief tech officer Markus Shafer, the new Solstice batteries will “set new standards in range, cost, and performance. ” Mercedes expects to be producing solid-state batteries at scale by the end of the decade.
Electrek’s Take
Mercedes is among several automakers and other companies developing solid-state batteries in hopes of unlocking more range, safety, and efficiency.
The news comes after local reports earlier this month suggested Hyundai will reveal its all-solid-state EV battery demo line in March. Japanese rival Honda unveiled its pilot line to the public in November.
Stellantis announced plans to launch a fleet of electric Dodge Chargers powered by Factorials solid-state batteries in 2026.
Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Stellantis, and others aim to mass-produce solid-state batteries by the end of the decade.
And don’t forget that Chinese EV battery leaders BYD and CATL are also racing to launch solid-state batteries. Which company will come out on top?
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British Columbia got its first 400 kW DC fast charger last week at Canadian C-store chain On The Run, but that’s not the good part. As part of a limited time offer, these chargers are FREE!
The Canadian convenience store chain just took the wraps off its new, ABB-developed, 400 kW chargers earlier this month, but they’re already planning to bring the ultra-fast 400 kW dispensers to at least four more locations in BC this spring, and have them online just in time for the summer road trip season – something On The Run hopes its customers will appreciate.
“The A400 charger delivers an enhanced customer experience, with reliability and performance from a 32-inch screen to higher power charging sessions and power sharing,” reads the company’s official announcement, via LinkedIn. “Download the Journie Rewards app to start the charge – free for a limited time.”
On The Run’s new 400 kW ABB DC fast chargers are compatible with CCS and CHAdeMO plugs, and can accommodate Tesla and other NACS-equipped vehicles with an adapter. That said, the company seems to imply that Tesla drivers in particular will have a maximum charging speed of “just” 50 kW, which feel hilarious (given the current state of affairs between Tesla and the Canadian government), but probably isn’t.
In addition to the ABB A400 400 kW units shown here, On The Run locations also employ the ABB Terra 184 dispensers rated at 180 kW. On The Run plans similar deployments at the four BC locations mentioned above, as well as two more each in Quebec and Ontario slated to go live towards the end of this year.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla’s controversial CEO Elon Musk once mocked 350 kW charging speed as being “for a child’s toy,” despite the fact that, nearly nine years later, his own cars and Superchargers can barely make it to 325 kW while others have sailed right on past. I made fun of that fact on the Quick Charge episode shown, above – and, while I do think it’s funny and relevant, the much more relevant piece of news here is that companies like BP Pulse, Revel, and Wallbox are actively deploying 400 kW solutions, today (while others hit the same mark as far back as 2017).
It’s just a fact: Tesla has fallen way behind.
SOURCE | IMAGES: On The Run, via Electric Autonomy.
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Terawatt Infrastructure‘s first medium- and heavy-duty electric charging truck stop in California is now online, in Rancho Dominguez.
Located 12 miles north of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the private Rancho Dominguez site, which is shared among multiple fleets, will support electric trucking fleet operations in and out of the largest container ports in the US.
First customers include Dreaded Trucking, Hight Logistics, PepsiCo, Quick Container Drayage, Southern Counties Express, Tradelink Transport, and WestCoast Trucking & Warehousing.
Terawatt’s electric charging truck stop features 20 pull-through and bobtail DC fast charging stalls with a capacity of 7 megawatts (MW), enabling charging for up to 125 trucks per day using a simple reservations system. Terawatt’s site features a proprietary charge management system, in-house technicians, 24/7 customer service, and onsite parts management.
“This launch underscores growing collaboration between enterprises, shippers, carriers, and charging infrastructure providers to advance sustainable technologies across logistics and transportation operations, especially in the medium and heavy-duty sectors,” said Neha Palmer, CEO and cofounder of Terawatt. Palmer added that the company will bring another charging site online in Rialto, California, in June.
Terawatt joined some of the world’s largest shippers and carriers in September 2024 to launch the I-10 Consortium heavy-duty EV operations pilot, the “first-ever US over-the-road electrified corridor.” Terawatt is providing charging infrastructure, including software, operations, and maintenance support at six of its owned charging hubs along the I-10 corridor.
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In its most aggressive attack against offshore wind yet, the Trump administration halted the $5 billion Empire Wind 1, already under construction off New York’s coast.
Norwegian developer Equinor announced yesterday that it received notice from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordering Empire Wind 1 to halt all activities on the outer continental shelf until BOEM has completed its review. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted this tweet yesterday:
Burgum gave no indication of what insufficiencies there were in the approval process for the fully permitted offshore wind project, despite Trump’s recent declaration of a national energy emergency that speeds up permitting processes.
The commercial lease for the 810-megawatt (MW) Empire Wind 1’s federal offshore wind area was signed in March 2017 during the first Trump administration. It was approved by the Biden administration in November 2023 and began construction in 2024.
The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Empire Wind 1, which was due to come online in 2027, has the potential to power 500,000 New York homes.
“Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda,” said American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet in a statement. “We encourage the administration to quickly address perceived inadequacies in the prior permit approvals so that this project can complete construction and bring much-needed power to the grid.”
As Electrek reported, Equinor secured $3 billion to finance Empire Wind 1 in January. The total amount drawn under the project finance term loan facility as of March 31 was around $1.5 billion.
As of March 31, Empire Wind has a gross book value of around $2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (pictured above), which was expected to become the US’s largest dedicated port facility for offshore wind.
In response to BOEM’s stop work order, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued the following statement:
Every single day, I’m working to make energy more affordable, reliable and abundant in New York and the federal government should be supporting those efforts rather than undermining them. Empire Wind 1 is already employing hundreds of New Yorkers, including 1,000 good-paying union jobs as part of a growing sector that has already spurred significant economic development and private investment throughout the state and beyond.
As Governor, I will not allow this federal overreach to stand. I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future.
Equinor says it’s considering appealing BOEM’s order.
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