Hyundai Developing Its Own Solid-State EV Batteries (Rumor)

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Hyundai is reportedly now working to develop its own solid-state electric vehicle batteries, according to The Korea Herald. The information originates with unnamed “sources close to the matter,” though, so who knows how accurate this is.

Interestingly, though, the report also claims that the company has already established pilot-scale solid-state battery production facilities — which certainly makes it sound as though the company is serious about the reported plans.

As reported by The Korea Herald, the source stated: “Hyundai is developing solid-state batteries through its Namyang R&D Center’s battery precedence development team and it has secured a certain level of technology.”

Sounds promising, but considering the trouble that other developers are having with solid-state battery development, I remain a bit skeptical about the state of things.

Green Car Congress provides a nice overview of the state of solid-state battery development:

“Solid-state rechargeable batteries are drawing significant attention due to their increased energy density (partially enabled by the safe use of Li metal anodes), safety and reliability. Solid-state electrolytes are superior to liquid electrolytes in various aspects including dendrite formation on the anode, flammability, and leakage.

“Replacing the organic liquid electrolyte with a nonflammable and more reliable inorganic solid electrolyte (SE) simplifies battery design while improving safety and durability of the system. This also allows the use of large-capacity electrode materials—sulfur positive electrode paired with a lithium metal negative electrode, for example, which are difficult to employ in conventional liquid electrolyte batteries.

“The all-solid-state battery also offers improved packaging efficiency, as the cell design can allow in-series stacking and bi-polar structures. High energy densities can be achieved by reducing the dead space between single cells.

“However, solid-state batteries are challenged by limited power densities, resulting from the low ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte, the electrode/electrolyte interfacial compatibility, and limited kinetics of the electrodes.”

A final note to make here: Hyundai was already reported to be providing funding to a number of different solid-state battery research projects around the world (and/or participating in them) — including those taking place at Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Tsinghua University in Chin, and Hanyang University in Korea.

We’ll keep you posted if we find out more.


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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