BMW says it will develop solid-state battery technology suitable for use in road cars by the end of the decade, with a demonstration vehicle slated for before 2025.
The technology has been on the company’s radar for some time, but this is the first Bmw commit to a timetable for its development.
Solid-state batteries are seen by some to be the key to making electric cars feasible for the mass market: the increased energy density they could offer compared to existing cellular technology would lead to much higher range. , making them more suitable for long distance travel.
In theory, they would also be less dependent on the public charging network, as more drivers could charge at their destination rather than on the way.
“The greenest electric car in the world will be a BMW – sustainable from the initial idea to recycling after its use phase,” said Frank Weber, member of the BMW board of directors. “We are developing the battery cell of the future: it will be powerful, safe, profitable and recyclable – from material selection to recyclability after use in the vehicle. All of this will be created in a European value chain.”
BMW is hoping its research will lower costs based on the latest internal combustion engines, which are considerably cheaper to manufacture, as electric vehicles are still in their infancy.
He believes that the energy density of cells could increase by an “average double-digit percentage” using solid-state technology.
“With the Neue Klasse [BMW’s moniker for its next-generation vehicles], we are going to take a big leap forward in electric propulsion technology, “said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the BMW Board of Directors.” We want to dramatically increase the energy density of cells and reduce operating costs and production of materials at the same time. We will also significantly reduce the use of primary materials to ensure a truly “green” battery. “
The firm claims that the proportion of cobalt used in its batteries has increased from 33% in the i3 supermini to 10% in the iX3 SUV, while the nickel content has increased to 80%. Up to 50% of the nickel used in the next iX SUV is recycled, he claims.
BMW plans to put a dozen fully electric vehicles on sale by 2023: the i4 sedan will join the lineup with the iX later this year, and electric versions of the 5-series, 7-series and a successor of the Mini Countryman are planned.
Another aspect of BMW’s research will focus on the recyclability of batteries, with the aim of establishing a fully recyclable cell.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-19 14:59:39
