平治車廠與 Factorial 合作開發固態電池

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Mercedes teams up with Factorial to develop solid-state batteries

Nick Carey

Tue, September 10, 2024 at 5:06 a.m. PDT·2 min read

LONDON (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz and U.S. battery startup Factorial are working on a solid-state battery that should dramatically increase electric vehicle range and be ready for production by the end of the decade, the companies said on Tuesday.

The new battery, dubbed Solstice, should extend EV range about 80% above today's average, with an energy density of 450 Watt-hours per kilogram, the companies said in a statement.

Solid-state batteries have been billed as a game-changing technology for EVs, as they should reduce fire risk and allow for lighter, lower-cost cars than can travel further on a single charge.

But they have proven harder than expected for major automakers and battery making partners to develop at scale.

Auto groups are urgently seeking ways to cut costs and boost EV range as sales have stagnated in Europe in particular.

Factorial has already developed a quasi-solid-state battery that automakers including Mercedes are testing and should be in EVs on the road in 2026.

Mercedes has invested in Factorial, which raised $200 million in 2022, alongside rivals Stellantis and Hyundai.

Factorial developed quasi-solid-state batteries first because they can use similar production lines to conventional lithium-ion batteries, meaning they can scale up faster, CEO Siyu Huang told Reuters.

In a solid-state battery, the liquid electrolyte through which the electrical charge passes should be replaced with a solid substitute, reducing fire risk and shrinking battery pack size.

Huang said that solid-state batteries would not require expensive, heavy cooling systems needed for today's battery packs, allowing automakers to further reduce costs.

"We're not just focused on the cost of (battery) cell, but the cost of the overall vehicle," she said.

The challenges of developing solid-state batteries include poor performance in cold weather and the battery pack's tendency to expand.

Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer told Reuters that Factorial's solid-state batteries could provide a 40% improvement in energy density over the German premium automaker's high performance batteries today.

This would enable Mercedes to either significantly reduce EV battery pack size - batteries are an EV's most expensive and heaviest component - or provide long-range electric cars for those who want them.

He added that lighter batteries would allow Mercedes to use steel for EV bodies instead of far more expensive and carbon intensive high-strength aluminum.

Mercedes is also working with Taiwanese battery maker ProLogium, in which it has invested, on solid-state batteries and is researching high-silicon anodes as an alternative solution to increase EV battery density.

 "There are some challenges that you have to get under control, but ... we have great engineering solutions to address them," Schaefer said, adding that he believed Factorial's goal of developing Solstice at scale by the end of the decade was realistic.

 (Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Mark Potter)

Translation

倫敦（路透社）—平治和美國電池新創公司Factorial 週二表示，它們正在開發一種固態電池，這種電池將大幅增加電動車的續航里程，並在本世紀二十年代末之前準備好投入生產。

兩家公司在聲明中表示，這款名為 Solstice 的新型電池將使電動車的續航里程比目前的平均水平提高約 80%，能量密度為每公斤 450 瓦時。

固態電池被認為是電動車的改變遊戲規則的技術，因為它們可以降低火災風險，並允許汽車更輕、成本更低，一次充電可以行駛更遠的距離。

但事實證明，對於主要汽車製造商和電池製造合作夥伴來說，大規模開發比預期更加困難。

由於歐洲的銷售停滯不前，汽車集團正在緊急尋求削減成本和提高電動車續航里程的方法。

Factorial 已經開發出一種準固態電池，包括平治在內的汽車製造商正在測試該電池，預計將於 2026 年應用於電動車。 

平治向Factorial投資, 在2022年它集資了2 億美元，與該公司一起競爭的對手包括 Stellantis 和現代。

Factorial執行長Siyu Huang告訴路透社，他們首先開發了準固態電池，因為這生產線可以使用於傳統鋰離子電池類，這意味著它們可以更快地擴大規模。

在固態電池中，被電荷通過的液體電解質會被替換為固體替代品，以降低火災風險並縮小電池組尺寸。

Huang說，固態電池不需要當今電池組所需的昂貴、重型冷卻系統，使汽車製造商能夠進一步降低成本。

她說:「我們不僅關注（電池）電的成本，還關注整部車的成本」。

開發固態電池面臨的挑戰包括寒冷天氣下的性能不佳以及電池組容易膨脹。

平治首席技術長 Markus Schaefer 告訴路透社，與這家德國高端汽車製造商目前的高性能電池相比，Factial 的固態電池可將能量密度提高 40%。

這將使平治能夠顯著減小電動車電池組的尺寸（電池是電動車最昂貴和最重的部件），可為有需要的人提供遠程電動車。

他補充說，更輕的電池將使平治能夠在電動車身上使用鋼，而不是更昂貴且碳密集的高強度鋁。

平治也與其投資的台灣電池製造商ProLogium合作開發固態電池，並正在研究高矽陽極, 作為提高電動車電池密度的替代解決方案。

Schaefer 表示：「有些挑戰必須得到控制，但…我們有出色的工程解決方案來處理這些挑戰。」他補充說，他相信 Factorial 在本世紀二十年代末之前去大規模開發 Solstice 的目標是可實現的。

              So, Mercedes-Benz and U.S. battery startup Factorial are working on a solid-state battery that could dramatically increase electric vehicle range and be ready for production by the end of the decade. If they are successful, they will revolutionize the making of EVs.