Colorado-based Solid Power, a solid-state battery specialist that has backing from Ford and BMW, says recent third-party safety tests demonstrate that its battery cells, which use a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, are safer than current lithium-ion cells, which use a liquid or gel electrolyte.

The tests aimed to simulate abuse and damage to Solid Power’s prototype solid-state battery cells. Testers punctured fully-charged test cells with a conductive nail, and the only change was a slight increase in temperature—none of the flames or venting of gases that we’re used to seeing in a nail-penetration test.

In other tests, cells were overcharged to 200%, and were subjected to short circuits, also with no seriously dangerous results.

Solid Power says its cells can deliver stack-level specific energy of 350 Wh/kg, and can undergo 750 charge/discharge cycles with 80% capacity retention. So far, the company has produced small pouch cells, and its next step will be to scale up to larger-format pouch cells.

Solid Power plans to provide cells to Ford and BMW for testing in 2022. BMW aims to have a prototype solid-state battery by 2025, and a production-ready version by 2030.

Source: Solid Power via Green Car Reports