Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (Idemitsu) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to work together in developing mass production technology of solid electrolytes, improving productivity and establishment a supply chain, to achieve the mass production of all-solid-state batteries for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Through this collaboration, the two companies, which lead the world* in the fields including material development relating to all-solid-state batteries, seek to ensure the successful commercialization of all-solid-state batteries in 2027-28―as announced at the Toyota Technical Workshop in June 2023―followed by full-scale mass production.
Combination of Idemitsu’s social implementation of energy one step ahead and materials and Toyota’s multi-pathway approach is promoting BEV development, which is a vital option in the move towards carbon neutrality. As for next-generation batteries which support an evolution of BEVs, Idemitsu has been working on research & development on elemental technologies for all-solid-state batteries since 2001, while Toyota started in 2006.
This collaboration focuses on sulfide solid electrolytes, which are seen as a promising material to achieve high capacity and output for BEVs. Sulfide solid electrolytes are characterized by softness and adhesiveness to other materials, which is suitable for battery mass production.
To prepare for full-scale mass production, both companies have established a task force consisting of dozens of members and will proceed the collaboration as follows:
Details of collaboration
Phase 1
Development of sulfide solid electrolytes and preparation for a large pilot facility
- Through feedback and development support from each other on each company’s technical area, both Idemitsu and Toyota will work together on creating better sulfide solid electrolytes with attention to quality, cost, and lead times, which both companies believe will realize mass-production demonstration of sulfide solid electrolytes using an Idemitsu pilot facility.
Phase 2
Mass production using a large pilot facility
- Through construction and startup of a large pilot facility, Idemitsu will promote sulfide solid electrolyte manufacture, and then will obtain mass production technology.
- Toyota will promote development of both all-solid-state batteries which sulfide solid electrolytes are used and BEV development in which the batteries are incorporated, and then will ensure market launch of BEVs with all-solid-state batteries in 2027-28.
Phase 3
Study of future full-scale mass production
- Based on the results of Phase 2, both companies will study of future full-scale mass production and commercialization
Source: Toyota
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