BMW has announced its intention to realise a solid-state battery suitable for automotive use in series production by the end of this decade. A first demonstrator vehicle with this technology is to be shown “well before 2025”. Funding is available from German federal and state governments.

Solid-state battery specialist QuantumScape plans to issue 13 million new shares. The expected proceeds of $859 million are to be invested in the company’s planned pilot plant and in the joint venture with Volkswagen. In connection with the joint venture, there is also talk of a second pilot plant.

The public transport provider in the metropolitan region of north-western France,  Métropole Rouen Normandie, has ordered ten electric buses from Daimler. The ten eCitaro are to be delivered this summer and the public transport provider will be utilising different battery technologies for the vehicles.

They are the only manufacturer of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles on an industrial scale – and yet they are hardly in the spotlight: French Bolloré subsidiary Blue Solutions developed and commercialised batteries with solid-state electrolyte years ago. Their most prominent customer is Daimler.

Fisker has abandoned its plans for solid-state batteries. Henrik Fisker stated in an interview that he made the decision more than a year ago. In his opinion, series production is still at least seven years away.

Blackstone Resources has signed a convertible loan agreement for up to 20 million Swiss francs (approximately 18.5 million euros) to help finance, among other things, the planned mass production of 3D-printed solid-state batteries.

In Germany, Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG) has ordered five Mercedes-Benz eCitaro with solid-state batteries to arrive in early 2022. The scope of supply also includes five permanently installed charging systems, each with an output of 150 kW, as well as three mobile workshop chargers of 40 kW each.

Solid-state battery specialist and Volkswagen partner QuantumScape has published performance data of prototype solid-state cells. The Americans company’s technology is said to be able to help improve the range of electric cars by up to 80 per cent compared to today’s lithium-ion cells.

A new EU project called ASTRABAT has been created to push forward with the development of solid-state battery cells. The aim of the project is to create such cells for electric vehicles and other applications in Europe. The project consortium comprises 14 partners from eight European countries.