Demo production line of Honda’s solid-state battery unveiled
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity these days thanks to their reasonable price tag and improved battery range – which are now close to the range of a normal gasoline-fed vehicle. Unfortunately, this is not the case for motorcycles as the prices are still relatively high and the battery range is very limited due to the two-wheeler’s size.
For Honda, it wants to change that by developing solid-state batteries at its Sakura City, Japan facility.
Honda says that these solid-state batteries which are developed and will be manufactured in-house, will be used to a wide range of its mobility products, including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft.
Demo line
When conducting technical verification to establish a mass production process on the demonstration line, Honda will determine the basic specifications of the battery cells, to begin applying its all-solid-state batteries to the electrified models introduced to the market in the second half of the 2020s.
Honda built the demonstration line to replicate the processes required for mass production. It has a total floor area of approximately 27,400 square meters and is equipped with facilities and equipment that enable verification of each production process. This includes weighing and mixing of electrode materials, coating and roll pressing of electrode assembly and the formation of cells, and assembly of the module.
The construction of the facility was completed in the spring, with almost all key equipment necessary for verification now installed. Honda is planning to begin battery production on this demonstration line in January 2025 and will conduct verification of mass production technologies and costs for each process, while also developing battery cell specifications.
Honda says that it plans to reduce the cost of solid-state battery production through the adoption of a highly efficient production process and (as mentioned above) by expanding application of the batteries to a wide range of Honda mobility products, including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft. Honda aims to further reduce battery costs via economies of scale and expand the joy of mobility.
Currently, Honda has invested JPY 43 billion, or roughly USD 280 million in the development of its own solid-state batteries.
Solid-state battery
Solid-state batteries are not new. In fact, the first solid-state batteries were introduced in the 1830s but the technology at the time prevented its widespread usage. Now, developments generated renewed interest in solid-state batteries, as, theoretically, these types of batteries offer superior performance than current lithium-ion batteries – which could mean an extended battery range for e-motorcycles in the future.
