Nissan seeks to create the battery that could change electric cars forever The Japanese automaker will open a plant to create the prototype of a solid-state battery that will significantly impact the cost of electric cars.
By Eduardo Scheffler Zawadzki Edited by Eduardo Scheffler Zawadzki
This article was translated from our Spanish edition.
We know: the future of the automotive industry is electric. Car manufacturers are clear about this and work hard to develop vehicles that help them meet the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in their products and operations, in addition to offering consumers electric vehicles that meet their quality and price expectations. . Nissan , the Japanese car manufacturer, announced the opening of a plant in which a solid-state battery will be produced that could imply a significant change for the electric car market.
The batteries currently used by most electric cars are lithium-ion and have a series of problems that have hampered the development of the electric automotive market: they are heavy, take a long time to charge, have a very low energy density (that is, , the energy does not last long), they cannot be charged or discharged to 100% and, in addition, they are expensive. Solid-state batteries, on the other hand, offer greater energy storage that translates into greater autonomy, shorter charging time and a lower price.
The problem is that so far there are only prototypes for batteries based on this technology. Nissan will open a pilot production line at the Yokohama city plant to create a prototype of the battery. According to the company, by 2028 it could launch a battery that offers a vehicle operating cost of $65 kWh, which would put it on the same level as gasoline vehicles.
Kunio Nakaguro , vice president in charge of the research and development division, explained : "Nissan has been a leader in electrification technology through a wide range of research and development activities; from researching battery materials at the molecular level to developing safe, high-performance electric vehicles. Our initiatives even include the development of cities using electric vehicles as storage batteries."
Nissan is the manufacturer of the LEAF, a compact car that made its debut in 2010 to conquer the market; Since then, no other electric vehicle has been released, although the Nissan ARIYA is about to hit the market.
During the summer of last year the company joined the Race to Zero , the United Nations campaign that seeks to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050 at the latest.