While it is still unclear which company will win the race to put solid-state batteries in production cars, Toyota and research partner Panasonic are currently leading the way in patents related to this technology. Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday.
Together with Tokyo-based research firm Patent Consult, Nikkei studied patent applications for solid-state battery technology in ten countries and territories filed between 2000 and the end of March this year.
Toyota leads clearly with 1,331 known patents, followed by Panasonic with 445 patents. Meanwhile, the third company – Idemitsu Kosan – holds 272 patents, according to the report.
2023 Toyota bZ4X Limited AWD
It should be noted that patents are a good way to gauge research and development, but they provide no clear indication of how well a company really is at bringing a particular technology to its product. export. Many other automakers and battery suppliers are also investing in solid-state battery research, attracted by claims of greater energy density.
Toyota started working on solid-state batteries in the 1990s, according to Nikkei. It cooperation with Panasonic to jointly develop the technology in 2019. Just before that, Panasonic said that solid state cells would not be coming until 2028 or later. Panasonic is of course also a longtime business partner of Tesla.
Toyota has confirmed at some point that this technology is in development and schedule a production model around the middle of the decade. Earlier this year, it revealed the first app will be a hybrid appnot EVs.
2022 Toyota Prius Nightshade
Meanwhile, Nissan is looking to solid-state batteries as a key to make affordable EVs possible on a variety of vehicles, including pickup trucks and SUVs. Earlier this year, it announced a prototype production facility for solid-state batteries — with plans to set up a pilot production line by 2024 in Japan as early as 2024, and bring to the EV market by 2028.
Other automakers — including Honda, BMW, Ford and Volkswagen — have discussed the use of solid-state batteries in cars. But so far the only practical use is in another type of vehicle. Solid state cells are has been installed into the city bus in Germany, but they require some very specific conditions — like high temperatures — that are not suitable for passenger vehicles.
