Toyota Reveals Plans for EV with Solid-State Battery with 621-mile Range

• Toyota changed course, announcing heavy investments in EV production, including three new batteries and a complete overhaul of its production lines.
• All-solid-state batteries and NCM monopolar technology with a range of 621 miles form the future of Toyota’s BEVs.
• Following Tesla’s footsteps, Toyota will also adopt Giga Casting and autonomous production lines overseas, while also planning to build production lines for North America at the same time. Battery research facility in Michigan.

Toyota hasn’t exactly jumped on the electric car bandwagon. There is one dedicated EV crossover on the market, as well as several newer hybrid models, all largely compliant with a wide range of industry standards while remaining tied to the hybrid sector the company pioneered. In fact, the company lost former CEO Akio Toyoda, a publicly skeptic of EVs, in an accident earlier this year. Corporate restructuring centered on electrificationMr. Koji Sato, a former Lexus branding officer, was appointed as Mr. Toyoda’s successor.

The months since Mr. Sato took office have changed markedly, with Toyota softening its stance on EVs and even hinting at the imminent arrival of a new electric architecture. But Toyota took it a step further this week, confirming a complete overhaul of its electric vehicle production and parts processes.

Future battery that can be quickly charged in 20 minutes

Toyota has released what appears to be a technology roadmap, with a more durable, energy-dense nickel-cobalt-manganese lithium-ion battery with 621 miles of range and 20 minutes of fast-charging time available by 2026. It was confirmed. These bZ4x-adjacent NCM batteries are reserved for high-performance vehicles or high-end luxury models, but Toyota also has plans for lower-end units.

Toyota has extended this LFP technology to its new BEV models, using a bipolar battery (found in the Japanese market’s Aqua and Crown hybrids), which can increase range by 20% and reduce costs by 40%. and to current bZ4x.

EV enthusiasts can also expect a high-performance version of the . Ni-based bipolar lithium-ion battery, indicates the possibility of a low-priced, high-performance EV from Toyota. These batteries will use high-nickel cathodes to cut costs by 10% while increasing range by 10%.

“Breakthrough” that enables all-solid-state batteries

Toyota said such progress is already underway, but innovation beyond the near future is essential, executives said. And according to the EV blueprint, Toyota believes solid-state batteries are definitely the way forward. The company is accelerating the development of all-solid-state batteries mainly because of “technological progress that overcomes the long-standing problem of battery durability,” but it is estimated that all-solid-state batteries will increase the cruising range by about 20%. It is also because

All of these percentages add up and are difficult to quantify, and the company doesn’t provide hard numbers but provides examples of improvements. Still, this shows that Toyota is well aware of how quickly it needs to react. Extend the reach of EVs.

An example of Toyota’s all-solid-state battery.

This will require Toyota to redevelop and expand its production facilities in terms of chassis and batteries.Due to improved profitability, the company giga casting technology Introduced (high pressure aluminum die casting machine) for future EV platforms, significantly reducing the amount of sheet metal parts. This production approach certainly worked for Tesla, despite the production quality issues of the early models.

automated mass production

Toyota has said it will eliminate conveyor-based production for future EV chassis, relying instead on self-propelled assembly lines. This approach automates much of the process, allows production models to move independently between processes, and increases model flexibility at each plant. Toyota, in particular, says the approach will significantly reduce the number of workers needed for production.

An example of a chassis section built using Giga casting technology.

Alongside this week’s news, Toyota also announced that it is developing a new battery research facility in Michigan. The Japanese brand will invest $50 million to build its North American R&D headquarters in York Township near Ann Arbor, with a particular focus on battery evaluation.

Considering the current state of Tax Credit Provisions of the Inflation Control Act, establishing manufacturing roots in North America (a battery plant in North Carolina and a three-row electric SUV assembly plant in Kentucky) is a no-brainer. But Toyota said the R&D facility is also aimed at better serving North American consumers.

A Closer Look at American Needs

While driving needs and charging habits vary widely from state to state, the US approach to electric vehicles has traditionally focused on balancing long range and high performance. For Toyota, understanding these nuances is essential to creating competitive products. And the ability to directly analyze U.S. charging infrastructure will play a major role in the company’s regional development process, the release explains.

A rendering of Toyota’s upcoming North American R&D facility.

Toyota’s approach to EVs is changing rapidly, but Toyota spent a good chunk of its presentation on hydrogen and e-fuels, leaving remnants of its previous corporate culture. The company’s approach to fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen rests primarily on commercial vehicles, but Toyota is pursuing research along with European manufacturers such as Porsche. carbon neutral biofuel.

Toyota is trialling hydrogen from renewable sources, synthetic fuels and bioethanol fuels, and says certain countries and regions with high demand for electricity, such as Brazil and India, are best suited for e-fuel technology. .

Ultimately, echoing the company’s longstanding point, the forward-looking report says Toyota wants to have the right vehicles in the right places at the right time. For long-standing brands, World’s best-selling automaker for 3 consecutive years, which should come as no surprise, that Toyota’s EV sales will require more than production improvements and better batteries. Especially in the US, it requires a balance between affordability and intrinsic excitement.

Collaborator

Originally from the Pacific Northwest and relocated to New York, Emmett White has a passion for everything from cars, bikes, planes and motorcycles. Emmett worked in the motorcycle industry after learning how to ride at the age of 17, before joining Auto Week in 2022. One-sided alternating parking issues have kept his vehicles modest, with his 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and his 2003 Honda Nighthawk 750 parked in a south Brooklyn community. .