Toyota's 'High-Power' EV With Solid State Batteries: Everything We Know

"Toyota wants to be the first automaker to offer a solid-state battery (SSB) in a production car. Many companies claim to be close, and some have even started real-world testing, so the race appears neck-and-neck. Toyota says its production application of SSBs could arrive in 2027, although 2028 sounds more likely, and it may be deployed in a high-power sports car, possibly an electric successor to the Lexus LFA."

"Modern high-performance EVs already offer plenty of straight-line speed and range. But their batteries are also very heavy, so when you approach a corner, you feel like the chassis is fighting physics trying to keep all that mass from understeering into a ditch. SSBs promise to provide much higher power density than even the best of today's batterieslike the ones Ferrari intends to use in its first EVwhich means battery packs can be physically smaller and therefore lighter."

"They also have much better longevity, charging speed and are less likely to go kaboom in the event of a battery pack puncture. Shrinking the physical size of the battery pack would also allow engineers to concentrate more mass closer to the center of the vehicle, which improves dynamics. Having a skateboard chassis where the battery pack serves as the floor of the vehicle is good, but having a battery spine along the center of the vehicle is even better for handling."

Toyota aims to be first to deploy solid-state batteries in a production vehicle, targeting 2027 or more likely 2028. The initial application is expected in a high-power sports car or a Lexus two-seater, where reduced battery mass delivers significant handling benefits. Solid-state batteries offer higher power density, greater range, faster charging, longer lifespan, and improved safety compared with current lithium-ion packs. Smaller, lighter battery packs enable concentration of mass toward the center of the vehicle, enhancing dynamics. A central battery spine can yield better handling than a traditional skateboard floor pack, making niche performance cars logical early adopters.

Read at insideevs.com