Mercedes-Benz is also planning to use solid-state batteries in its future electric models

That the future of electric mobility runs through solid-state batteries is something nobody doubts anymore. Numerous manufacturers are already working on developing this technology, in many cases relying on specialised companies. Just the other day, for instance, we reported here at HighMotor on news suggesting that MG Motor could be the first manufacturer to put a vehicle with this type of battery on the market. Something that could happen within a few months, with the arrival of the new year.

Mercedes-Benz is another of those manufacturers that also have high hopes of soon being able to use this new battery technology in their electric models. The German manufacturer signed a joint development agreement with the startup Factorial Energy, based in Massachusetts, in 2021. And just a year later it led a funding round for this same company, which led it to invest 200 million dollars.

A bet on the future that seems to be starting to bear fruit. Factorial Energy has recently unveiled its solid-state battery, named Solstice, which promises to offer an energy density of 450 watt-hours per kilogram. If true, this would considerably exceed the energy density -always below 300 Wh/kg- offered by the nickel-cobalt-manganese chemistry cells currently used in many electric vehicles.

What would the use of this technology mean?

Integrated into an electric vehicle, Factorial Energy’s Solstice battery would allow a range up to 80 percent greater, so it would not be hard for it to approach a thousand kilometres on a single charge. An important advantage, to which would be added its lower weight and, consequently, improved vehicle efficiency.

Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of the traditional liquid or gel, which not only increases energy density and reduces flammability, making them much safer, but also allows faster charging. We are therefore talking about a vehicle with a range that could approach a thousand kilometres, much more efficient, with an almost zero risk of fire from a battery problem and that also needs much less time to complete a recharge. A dream, indeed, which we hope becomes reality before long.

According to Factorial Energy, the electrolyte its engineers have developed is based on sulphide, which offers a much higher level of safety, and is also capable of operating at temperatures of up to 90 degrees Celsius. This reduces the battery’s cooling requirements and, consequently, the vehicle’s production costs. In addition, its dry coating process minimises environmental impact during production.

As a result of the level of collaboration reached by both companies, Mercedes-Benz is apparently already working on integrating these revolutionary solid-state batteries into its future electric vehicles. This would, without a doubt, give the German firm a considerable competitive advantage over other manufacturers. For the moment, however, it is unknown when the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle with a solid-state battery could reach the market.