Taiwan's ProLogium has laid the foundation for its next stage of battery tech development in the form of a "giga-level" factory in Taoyuan City.
The plant is planned to produce power packs for 26,000 electric vehicles with up to 1,200 employees. It's the next step on the company's timeline to bring its unique solid-state battery to market, ProLogium noted in a press release from late January.
"The time is now," company CEO Vincent Yang said in the statement. "Our journey has been a testament to overcoming existing technological barriers and innovating new structures, leading to a fundamental transformation in cell structure and process design."
The factory's debut was celebrated with officials from key partners, including Mercedes-Benz. Late last year, ProLogium provided details on its breakthrough flat, rectangular battery cell that promises an 80% charge in 12 minutes. That translates to a 79% range increase, to 447 miles per charge, for the Mercedes EQE 350+, ArenaEV noted.
ProLogium officials also used the limelight earlier this year to unveil the 106Ah solid-state power pack, which they said is made with a "high-silicon" anode at the new factory.
Silicon is becoming a favorite anode alternative to graphite for battery makers searching for more efficient, less expensive, and safer materials. Solid-state batteries are touted as having greater storage capacity and better safety than cells that use liquid electrolyte, the substance where the charge/discharge chemistry happens.
"Our journey has been a testament to overcoming existing technological barriers and innovating new structures, leading to a fundamental transformation in cell structure and process design … This breakthrough combines performance, cost efficiency, and resource circulation, manifesting a new universe for the battery industry," Yang said in the company's statement.
"Giga" is a term made popular by Tesla, which has so-called gigafactories producing its battery cells. For ProLogium, the factory is a proof of concept for its scaled production. The blueprint will be used for expansion, with Europe set for the next pin on the map. The company noted a gigafactory in the works in Dunkirk, France, as an example.
The newer factories are coming with greater manufacturing efficiency. The Taoyuan facility has an "output efficiency" 2.6 times greater than the original plant, with "doubled assembly speed," per the press release.
Photos of the factory provided by ProLogium are impressive. From the outside, it's a towering facility that would look at home in any industrial park. Inside, a lab-like environment with high-tech production lines fill the frame. You expect to see white-coated experts step into view as they review the latest run reports.
It's a vision fast becoming reality for the battery maker.
"The next step for ProLogium is to expand globally, with France being the first stop," Taoyuan Mayor Shan-zheng Zhang said during the press event.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Cool Picks
