Why I don't talk about batteries much

[andrewducker]

One of the annoying things about reading tech news is that so much of it is recycled press releases and those press releases are frequently either years in advance or complete bluster designed to raise money from investors. And it's nearly impossible for me to tell which.

So I've now stopped reporting battery news, for instance, because there's a new "breakthrough" every three days, which will revolutionise absolutely everything, except that so far it only works inside their computer simulation/in their lab and no you can't see their full data/if it's specially handcrafted/kept under -200degrees/if it is kept inside a mouse.

Except that when they start announcing that a product will appear _this year_ that makes it more interesting. And Solid State Batteries now seem to be moving into the "This is actually a product" category. Hopefully. Maybe. Toyota are saying 2022, Hyundai have said that they have a small production line underway, and Volkswagen are saying 2025.

Nissan, on the other hand, is saying that the tech needs multiple breakthroughs before it's anywhere near ready.

And then there's this where semi-solid batteries will be on the market, for very small devices, by the end of the year.

Except that, having bought things on Kickstarter a fair few times, "On the market by the end of the year" can mean "We've only got a couple of minor issues to work through, how hard can it be?"

So, yeah, Solid State Batteries looks _amazing_ as a technology, but I think I'm going to go back to not reporting on battery technology until someone announces a shipping product.

Comments

[nojay]

There are new batteries making it out of the lab and into the market but they're not really consumer items yet. SCiB, for example from Toshiba is a lithium-tech battery with a really good charge/discharge rate (empty to full in ten minutes or so) and a decent operational lifespan even with high charge/discharge rates. The downside is low energy density per kilogram compared to regular lithium-ion batteries which makes them less attractive for motive use. They're also mega-expensive in part because of a low takeup from customers but they can be purchased for mere money unlike the Biggest Battery Breakthrough Since Breakfast fantasies.

[andrewducker]

Cheers, I missed that one entirely. Interestingly, seems popular for buses (well, other Lithium-titanate batteries are, anyway).