Mercedes is set to introduce solid-state batteries to their vehicle series before 2030.
In a bid to bridge the gap between electric and traditional vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is aggressively developing solid-state battery technology. Despite the favorable raw material prices, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries do not offer sufficient savings potential for cost parity with combustion engine vehicles. However, solid-state batteries promise greater range and lower costs at the same size.
The key challenges Mercedes-Benz faces in achieving cost parity for solid-state batteries compared to combustion engine vehicles include high production costs, technical difficulties, and a lengthy commercialization timeline. Solid-state batteries currently remain expensive to manufacture due to the complexities involved in stabilizing solid electrolytes and scaling up production for automotive use. Stabilizing solid electrolytes and ensuring consistent battery performance and safety on a mass scale is challenging. While companies like Toyota and Nissan target commercial solid-state battery production by 2027–2028, wide adoption and mass production remain in development stages.
Mercedes-Benz is collaborating with US partner Factorial on the development of this battery technology. The potential solutions and advantages Mercedes-Benz is pursuing that could help overcome these challenges are improved energy density and packaging, enhanced safety and performance, reduction in carbon footprint and materials, and faster charging times and longer lifespan.
The collaboration with Factorial Energy has yielded a battery with 25% higher energy density than current lithium-ion packs. This also makes the battery lighter and more compact, which may reduce materials cost and improve vehicle architecture. Solid-state batteries are less prone to overheating and less flammable due to solid electrolytes, improving longevity and reducing warranty costs.
Advances in solid-state designs show promise for much faster charging and extended lifecycle (up to 20 years), improving total cost of ownership. The solid-state battery enables up to 25 percent more range compared to the standard EQS battery. Mercedes-Benz aims to bring solid-state battery technology into mass production before the end of the decade.
Since February, Mercedes has been testing a B-sample of this battery technology in a slightly modified EQS. The current EQS 450+ with a battery capacity of 118 kWh already offers over 800 kilometers per charge. A range of over 1,000 kilometers is expected for the development vehicle. The technical specifications and management system are being developed at the E-Campus in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth.
The Mercedes development chief sees the battery composition as the key factor to achieve cost parity with combustion engine vehicles. A new chemistry is needed for the solid-state battery to achieve cost parity with combustion engine vehicles. Passive battery cooling is used to achieve further weight and energy efficiency.
As raw material costs are expected to rise, further driving the search for more efficient battery technologies, Mercedes-Benz's development efforts targeting improved energy density, safety, and reduced material use represent promising pathways to making these advanced batteries economically competitive in the near future. However, achieving full cost equivalence will likely depend on scaling production, supply chain optimization, and continued technology refinement over the next several years.
- In the collaboration with Factorial Energy, Mercedes-Benz has developed a solid-state battery offering a 25% higher energy density than current lithium-ion packs, which could potentially reduce materials costs and improve vehicle architecture in the automotive industry.
- Despite the technical difficulties and lengthy commercialization timeline, advances in solid-state battery designs show promise for lower costs, faster charging, extended lifespan, and greater range in the transportation sector, potentially bridging the gap with traditional combustion engine vehicles in the finance industry.
- Mercedes-Benz is focusing on a new chemistry for the solid-state battery, aiming to make it economically competitive in the finance sector, as the company aims to bring this technology into mass production before the end of the decade, with the potential to reduce warranty costs through improvements in safety and performance, and lower carbon footprint due to less flammability and overheating in the technology industry.
