This week has been all about BMW’s Gen6 batteries with round cells and how charging speed and range will jump by 30%. Neue Klasse models will bring a 20% improvement in energy density and bidirectional charging. As promising as this sounds, solid-state batteries are still considered the holy grail.

An EV’s range is expected to be much higher compared to an equivalent car featuring a lithium-ion battery pack. Additionally, solid-state batteries are more durable and have a wider range of operating temperatures. They’re also safer since the risk of fire and thermal runaway is lower. By having a more simplified structure, these types of batteries are also notably lighter compared to what automakers are using in current electric vehicles.

Thanks to a cooperation with Solid Power, BMW will have a demonstrator vehicle with solid-state batteries later this year. However, a production car won’t happen anytime soon. Autocar learned from Martin Schuster, BMW’s vice president of next-generation battery tech, that the Group is unlikely to launch an EV with solid-state batteries until the next decade.

He explained that while the German luxury brand can sell a car with a solid-state battery today, the production costs are still too high, and it wouldn’t make sense to pass them off to the buyer. Purchasing and supply boss Joachim Post also mentioned the prohibitive costs, estimating that the customers wouldn’t pay the premium.

In the meantime, there’s still room to optimize lithium-ion technology. BMW has already promised up to 900 kilometers (560 miles) of range for Neue Klasse with Gen6 batteries. Schuster believes improvements are still possible, especially regarding slashing production costs. He is confident there’s “still a long way to go with lithium-ion.” The BMW Group believes that producing EVs with solid-state batteries won’t happen in the next eight years.

Looking at rivals, Mercedes and Factorial Energy are testing a prototype EQS with solid-state batteries in the UK. The fullsize luxury sedan could unlock a range of more than 998 kilometers (620) miles on a single charge. The three-pointed star aims to beat BMW to the punch by launching its first EV with a solid-state battery by 2030.

Source: Autocar