Solid-state batteries still twice the price cautions CALB as its tiny 60 Ah cells double EV range

Upon presenting its new 60 Ah solid-state battery cell that would allow doubling the typical electric vehicle range, battery maker CALB has warned about the high costs of manufacturing it.

While the solid-state battery comes with energy density exceeding 450 Wh/kg, or twice that of BYD's new Blade 2.0 LFP battery line, it also costs twice as much as similar batteries with liquid electrolytes.

According to CALB's Chairwoman Liu, the current cost of manufacturing even a hybrid solid-liquid battery with a 95% solid electrolyte is about 12 cents per Wh, while modern LFP cells cost less than six cents per Wh, or $5,800 per 100 kWh pack to make.

CATL's 60 Ah cell weighs a quarter of what a typical LFP cell with its capacity does, and its footprint is quite small in comparison. Besides the sulfide-based electrolyte, the solid-state battery comes with a cathode that is rich in nickel and a silicon composite anode. All of these technologies increase its energy density, capacity retention in cold weather, and safety profile but also the price of the solid-state cell.

Still, double the range on a charge for twice the price leaves solid-state batteries at a good starting position when it comes to commercialization potential. CALB will start putting its solid-state cells with high energy density first in eVTOLs and humanoid robots, where volumetric density is key, and then supply them to EV makers in 2027.

Its solid-state battery has other virtues inherent to the technology, such as a 6C+ charging rate that can bring an empty battery to full in just ten minutes. The solid-state cell also retains 90% of its capacity even in extreme cold, while current batteries with liquid electrolyte lose 40% in the same conditions. 

CALB's solid-state battery cell is much safer during a vehicle accident, too, as it is not full of volatile and flammable liquid electrolyte that makes EVs a challenge to extinguish for fire departments. It has been subjected to the usual puncture, pressure, and high-temperature safety tests, as outlined in the new national solid-state battery standard that China is developing, and has been cleared for commercialization.

Many Chinese companies, both established ones like BYD or CATL and startups, are developing solid-state batteries, providing 80% of the global production. They caution that solid-state cells will first land in drones and robots, as well as premium electric vehicles, because of their price. Mass-market commercialization of solid-state batteries, however, will only start in earnest after 2030, when their cost has been brought down significantly.

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