HondaHonda took a major step toward producing its much-anticipated solid-state battery system this June, striking a new partnership that it hopes will propel the automotive giant towards carbon neutrality. The announcement came just a few months after Honda shuttered the North American launch of three EV models, the Honda 0 SUV, Honda 0 Saloon, and Acura RSX, sparking the company's first annual financial loss in nearly three quarters of a century. The new partnership, which Honda penned with American battery development firm QuantumScape, may signal a shift in Honda's EV strategy, pointing toward the Japanese manufacturer prioritizing solid-state battery development over existing EV technologies. Announced in June 2026, the partnership will focus on researching and developing solid-state batteries and their associated manufacturing techniques. In striking a deal with the San Jose, California, research firm, Honda will likely look to build off of the corporation's experience in developing next-gen solid-state lithium-metal batteries to find solutions that promise greater range, faster charging speeds, lower costs and heightened safety. QuantumScape struck a similar deal with Volkswagen's battery company PowerCo SE last year, underscoring the market's growing confidence in its ability to deliver an EV-ready solid-state battery. In a press release announcing the partnership, Chief Operating Officer at Honda R&D's Research Center of Excellence Atsushi Ogawa stated that QuantumScape's solid-state technology platform "demonstrated compelling and unique advantages" during a technical study. Moreover, Ogawa forecasted that the partnership could "add value across a range of applications." Beyond potentially serving as the future of electric vehicles, QuantumScape frames its solid-state batteries as a solution to several energy-needy emerging technology markets, including data centers, drones, and robotics. Honda, for its part, appears to be going all-in on the technology as it looks to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: 5 easy ways to get more range out of your EVThe tech powering the solid-state battery revolutionQuantumScapeTo understand the benefits solid-state batteries may bring to Honda's EV line, we first have to unpack the rudimentary details of how the lithium-ion batteries powering current EV models function. A battery uses electrolytes to carry positively charged electrons between its positive and negative terminals, known as the cathode and anode, respectively. In lithium-ion batteries used by most electric vehicles, this separator between the anode and cathode is formed of liquid electrolytes, typically a liquid solution of lithium salts dissolved in organic solvents. As its name suggests, a solid-state battery replaces these liquids with solid electrolytes, such as oxides, sulfides, polymer salts or gel polymers. This also allows designers to replace lithium-ion batteries' anodes, which are typically made of carbon or silicon, with more energy-dense alternatives like lithium metal. QuantumScape, for its part, touts its batteries as "anode-free," in that the anode "forms in situ on the first charge."While these changes may seem trivial to the uninitiated, they represent a major leap in battery technology, as solid electrolytes offer several advantages over their liquid counterparts. For one thing, they have the potential for higher energy densities, meaning solid-state battery EVs could reach much longer ranges with smaller, lighter battery systems. According to QuantumScape, an EV could increase its range from 350 to somewhere between 400 and 500 using one of its battery cells. Another major benefit would be shorter recharge times due to its materials sporting higher conductivity rates. Honda has estimated that a solid-state battery could potentially reach 80 to 90 percent of its charge in a matter of minutes.Solid electrolytes also provide several safety benefits. Solid electrolytes eliminate the possibility of leakage — a major concern for lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, solid-state electrolytes aren't flammable and are less likely to deteriorate from additional chemical reactions. Solid-state batteries can also operate at extreme temperatures, further extending their operating range and ensuring a more stable battery system. The move could also eliminate the need for graphite anodes, breaking the EV market's dependence on Chinese suppliers in favor of higher-capacity alternatives. AdvertisementAdvertisementProponents of solid-state batteries have long framed the technology as a skeleton key for unlocking the EV market, as their hypothetical benefits solve many of the limitations of traditional lithium-ion-powered EVs. However, no manufacturer has released a full solid-state battery-powered EV for the consumer market. Scalability amid exorbitant costs has been the biggest hurdle, with the tech largely limited to smaller formats, such as medical implants, IoTs and wearable electronics. But with several major manufacturers investing in the technology, it may only be a matter of time before we see solid-state battery cars on the road.A mottled solid-state EV landscapeKARMAHonda's solid-state journey kicked off in 2024, when it announced its intention to produce battery prototypes at its facility in Sakura City, Japan. The manufacturing giant has invested heavily in the technology ever since. The company's partnership with QuantumScape could prove a major step toward actualizing its goal of producing a solid-state EV by the end of the decade. The project will look to capitalize on QuantumScape's recently opened Eagle Line facility to produce its anode-free, lithium-metal QSE-5 solid-state battery cells, which debuted in a Ducati V21L motorcycle prototype last fall. Honda executives, for their part, have touted the technology as potentially doubling the extended range of current EV models by the end of the decade. Eventually, the company hopes to scale its EV production to 100% of its sales by 2040.Honda is likely to face stiff competition, as several global brands race to bring the technology to market. In the short term, it is likely that this comes in the form of semi-solid-state batteries, which use a hybrid solid-liquid electrolyte solution and have already begun to be rolled out to consumer markets. Chinese manufacturer CALB, for instance, began mass production of such a hybrid battery last year, culminating in a battery for light commercial vehicles that it introduced at a trade show in March 2026. Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, have both partnered with startup Factorial to test a fleet of semi-solid-state-powered Dodge Chargers and EQS sedans, respectively. But Honda isn't the only firm placing its chips on solid-state batteries. Several Chinese EV giants are shaping up as formidable competitors, as both BYD and CATL have announced plans to initiate small-scale production of solid-state EV batteries next year. Another Chinese manufacturer, Dongfeng Motors, is pursuing a solid-state EV capable of 600 miles on a single charge.AdvertisementAdvertisementHonda's Japanese compatriots are also at the forefront of the solid-state race. Nissan, for instance, recently joined a development initiative similar to Honda's QuantumScape project, this time with British sulfur battery development conglomerate Gelion. The project is in service of Nissan's stated goal of launching an all-solid-state EV line by 2028. Toyota, meanwhile, which has filed over 1,000 patents for the technology, recently signed a partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining to produce cathodes for their all-solid-state batteries. As of last year, Toyota projected it would release solid-state EVs by 2028.Western companies are also getting into the mix. BMW, for example, began testing solid-state batteries in its i7 prototype last year. Volkswagen, meanwhile, invested $1.2 billion in Chinese battery developer Gotion High Tech in 2020. This year, the firm began testing its all-solid-state EV battery, which touts a reported range of 620 miles. Mercedes-Benz is also nearing its own battery. America's first voyage into the solid-state market could come from luxury EV startup Karma Automotive, which announced that it would launch its Kaveya super-coupe with solid-state batteries from Factorial in late 2027.Ultimately, it appears unlikely that solid-state batteries will beat out their lithium-ion counterparts in the short term. Despite widespread investment, scalability concerns are likely to persist as companies build out their solid-state battery supply lines. However, with several manufacturers believing they are on the verge of a breakthrough, the technology could become a pillar of the EV market sooner than expected. On balance, Honda's bet on QuantumScape testifies to the promise of solid-state technologies.Found this useful? Sign up for Engadget's free newsletter for more tech news and guides delivered straight to your inbox. You can also follow us or add Engadget as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Engadget.
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