Solid-State Cells Can Make The U.S. Competitive In Batteries Again: CEO

Colorado-based Solid Power is working with some of the biggest names in the industry to bring solid-state batteries to life.

Solid Power battery cells

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Nov 12, at 10:16am ET

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American companies may be playing catch-up to Asian giants in the battery business, but solid-state batteries could give the U.S. another shot at becoming competitive. That's according to the CEO of Colorado-based solid electrolyte specialist Solid Power.

Solid Power is part of a wave of young American battery startups—including California-based QuantumScape and Massachusetts-based Factorial—that are racing to commercialize solid-state batteries.

Battery scientists broadly believe that solid-state cells can unlock more driving range for EVs, faster charging speeds, and eliminate fire risks compared to current lithium-ion batteries.

But the technology has proven extraordinarily difficult to manufacture at scale without defects. If you've been following this race, you'll know the technology has spent years being just around the corner.

Samsung SDI all-solid-state battery

Photo by: Samsung

Solid Power, however, believes the wait will eventually be worth it. The company expects solid-state batteries to reach select high-end EVs by the end of this decade, with broader adoption following in the early 2030s.

It also secured a $50 million U.S. Department of Energy grant in 2024 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support its development efforts.

Unlike some of its competitors, Solid Power isn't trying to build an entire battery. It specializes in one crucial ingredient: the electrolyte, which facilitates the movement of lithium ions between the electrodes.

In a lithium-ion battery that electrolyte is usually a flammable liquid chemical. In solid-state batteries, companies are branching out into mainly three different varieties for the solid electrolytes: polymers, oxides, and sulfides.

Solid Power is betting on the third option. President and CEO John Van Scoter told InsideEVs in an interview that its flexible sulfide-based solid electrolyte design can help established battery makers incorporate the technology into their existing production processes and give the U.S. a way back in the battery business.

“All solid-state batteries can be the way that [the U.S.] can get back in and be competitive in the battery industry,” Van Scoter said.

The company took a step toward that goal last month with the commissioning of its Mobius pilot production line at its plant in Thornton, Colorado. The goal? To manufacture and sell electrolytes from this plant to some of the biggest names in the automotive and battery industry.

The company has already been working with Ford, BMW, Samsung SDI, SK ON, and more names that are yet to be publicly announced. Rather than building complete batteries itself, Solid Power said battery makers can integrate its electrolyte into their own cell designs, test the results, and work together to refine the technology before production.

Van Scoter said the company has completed its joint development agreements with Ford and BMW. Its focus is now shifting toward working with major battery manufacturers to figure out how to scale production.

The Mobius pilot line is expected to become operational by the end of the year, adding 45 metric tons of annual solid electrolyte production capacity. Combined with its existing facilities, that would bring the total pilot capacity to 75 metric tons a year.

So, what does all this translate to in terms of performance? When added to a silicone anode and a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cathode, Solid Power’s sulfide electrolyte can increase a cell’s energy density to 390 watt hours per kilogram and last over 1,000 cycles. (Modern NMC batteries with liquid electrolytes typically deliver around 250 to 280 wH/kg.)

With a lithium metal anode, that energy density can increase to 440 wh/kg, the company claimed, nearly double of an average lithium-ion battery today. However, these are just theoretical numbers. The final energy density will depend on the battery maker that builds the actual cell.

“We create the magic that allows the cell to work,” Van Scoter said. “But it's up to the cell design as to energy densities, cycle life, all those other important attributes.”

Another big advantage is that the company believes its technology doesn’t need brand new factories or expensive retooling.

“We can use standard [lithium-ion battery] roll to roll equipment in order to build all solid state cells,” Van Scoter said.

Of course, solid-state batteries still have some familiar problems to solve. One is dendrite formation. These are the tiny, needle-like lithium structures that can grow inside a cell, potentially causing short circuits and capacity loss. Van Scoter said Solid Power had put a lot of engineering effort to solve that issue.

The company isn't starting from scratch with automakers, either. BMW last year released images of a prototype i7 equipped with a solid-state battery featuring Solid Power's silicon anode solid-state battery.

BMW i7 Solid-State Battery Prototype

Photo by: BMW

BMW, Samsung SDI, and Solid Power have also entered a three-way agreement to develop the technology for commercialization. Samsung SDI will manufacture the cells, BMW will develop the battery modules and packs, and Solid Power will supply the solid electrolyte. The exact timeline of when we’ll see the fruits of this partnership remains unclear.

Other American solid-state startups are taking a more vertically integrated approach, developing the entire cells themselves. QuantumScape, for instance, is working with Volkswagen, Honda and other automakers to commercialize its technology. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis have already begun testing prototype vehicles equipped with Factorial's solid-state cells.

Solid Power, however, believes that the technology might mature first in defense applications, drones and humanoid robots.

“The qualification cycles are shorter and the cycle life of the platform is much faster,” Van Scoter said of drones and robots.

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Either way, U.S. automakers and battery companies didn’t quite capitalize on the lithium-ion battery boom, leaving that to Asian giants. Whether they can get solid-state batteries across the finish line first is something only time will tell.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com