Nissan intends to mass-produce electric vehicles with state-of-the-art batteries in early 2029, officials announced on April 16 at a media tour of its partially constructed pilot plant southwest of Tokyo.
The Japanese automaker was once at the forefront of the EV revolution when it released the Leaf in 2010 but has since fallen behind Tesla and BYD.
However, Nissan believes it can vault itself back into the conversation with an updated battery that is "powerful, cheaper, safer, and faster to charge than the lithium-ion batteries in use today," according to the Associated Press.
"We are finally in the phase of scaling up on our all-solid-state battery line," Corporate Vice President Shunichi Inamijima said. "Our all-solid-state battery technology is a game-changer for making EV sales grow explosively."
Solid-state batteries replace corrosive liquids in standard batteries with solid metals that can improve the vehicle's safety and performance. Preventing it from commercialized mass production includes its propensity to short-circuit, cost of production, and material shortages.
Nonetheless, the automobile industry is eager to find a solution, as lithium-ion batteries have limitations with variables such as efficiency and eco-friendliness.
A Taiwanese battery tech company has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to create a solid-state battery that can power a car for 447 miles at max capacity and reach 80% charge in just 12 minutes.
Researchers from Harvard University have developed their own version with a lithium metal anode that can recharge in just 10 minutes and be recharged 6,000 times.
Meanwhile, Porsche's latest project has resulted in a car that can last up to 800 miles without needing to recharge.
Nissan officials were largely mum on what exactly their new technology was, but they did note that it will be using unique materials, like a metal form of lithium
"Once electric vehicles get going, costs will come down compared to the internal combustion engine. They will also be so convenient. For one, you won't ever have to go to a gas stand," Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto told reporters. "The engineers at Nissan are all working hard to create this new world."
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