A partnership between Massachusetts-based Factorial and storied car brand Mercedes-Benz to bring an all-solid-state battery to market with amazing performance is making progress, according to Electrek.
Specifically, the update noted that the latest Solstice packs can hit a 40-amp-hour capacity. It's part of impressive results that Electrek and Reuters reported will offer an 80% increase in energy density and range when compared to current standards.
Energy density is the amount of electricity that can be stored per pound. Improving that metric can help to make electric vehicles lighter, which can provide for better range. Factorial raised $200 million in 2022, including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai as investors, according to Reuters.
"We're not just focused on the (battery) cost … but the cost of the overall vehicle," Factorial CEO Siyu Huang said in the story.
Solid-state batteries are championed as safer, lighter, and better-performing packs than standard ones with a liquid electrolyte. But producing them at scale affordably has been a challenge, all according to Top Speed.
When batteries operate, ions move through the electrolyte as they travel between the electrodes. Common liquid-electrolyte packs contain flammable substances that can cause rare, but serious, blazes, as detailed by the National Transportation Safety Board.
At Factorial, the team has developed a "quasi" solid-state pack called FEST, along with the completely solid Solstice. The latter product's perks include the ability to operate at searing temperatures of 194 degrees Fahrenheit. It's produced with a "dry-coating" process that reduces cost and environmental impact. As for performance, Solstice is billed as providing a range of 500 to 600 miles or more, all according to the company.
For Mercedes's part, chief technology officer Markus Schäfer said it helped Factorial develop Solstice as a "cornerstone of Mercedes-Benz's strategy and commitment" to being a leader in the sector, per Electrek.
Both companies plan to be manufacturing all-solid-state packs at scale by the end of the decade.
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It's another notable benchmark for the industry. And EVs continue to be popular choices among car shoppers. Reuters reported that global EV and plug-in hybrid sales were up 25% in 2024, setting a record at more than 17 million vehicles.
It's an important part of curbing heat-trapping air pollution production, linked by NASA to a greater risk of extreme weather events. Those include droughts and heat extremes, which are factors that ABC News reported have played a role in the terrible Los Angeles-area fires.
Each EV that replaces a gas-guzzler can reduce thousands of pounds of air pollution per year. And that's true even in states where fossil fuels provide the energy to charge them, according to U.S. government data.
Reuters added that Mercedes is also working with Taiwan's ProLogium, a company making headlines for anode and solid-state innovations.
As for the Factorial partnership, Schäfer feels strongly that Solstice will help the automaker to "set new standards in range, cost, and performance," per Electrek.
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