Toyota solid-state battery technology will debut in 2021

SMM net: 10 minutes of full charge, a charge of 500km, safety risks to a minimum, Toyota said that the company's upcoming solid-state battery will not only change electric vehicles, but also change the landscape of the entire industry.

Electric vehicles driven by traditional lithium-ion batteries have shorter mileage and longer charging time on a single charge, while solid-state battery technology can solve these shortcomings very well. Under the same conditions, Toyota's electric vehicles have more than twice the mileage of conventional lithium-ion battery-powered cars, reducing charging time by 2/3; even in compact cars, solid-state batteries do not sacrifice internal space. Solid-state batteries are expected to be a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, reducing the risk of electric vehicles catching fire and increasing energy density (a measure of the ratio of the energy the battery can provide to the weight of the battery).

Toyota plans to be the first company to sell solid-state battery cars in the early 1920s and will launch a prototype next year. Toyota has more than 1000 patents in the field of solid-state batteries, ranking first in the world. Nissan also plans to develop its own solid-state battery to power a non-simulated car by 2028.

The shift to new battery technology will also have an impact on companies downstream of the supply chain. Japanese car materials manufacturers are eager to build the necessary infrastructure to supply carmakers. Mitsui Mining and smelting will start a pilot plant to produce solid electrolytes for batteries. The plant, located at an R & D center in Saitama prefecture, will be able to produce dozens of tons of solid electrolytes a year from next year, enough to meet orders for prototype cars.

Idemitsu Kosan, an oil company, is installing solid electrolyte production equipment at its plant in Chiba prefecture and aims to start operating next year. The manufacture of solid electrolytes requires curing sulfides, a specialty of the metal and chemical industries. Sumitomo Chemical is also developing this material.

Japanese manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic have been in the vanguard of commercializing car batteries. But since the late 2000s, Chinese competitors have come to the fore. Ningde Times is now the world's largest supplier of lithium-ion batteries, while Japan's Asahi Kasei (Asahi Kasei), a global leader in battery separator materials, surrendered the crown to Shanghai Energy last year.

With the gradual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions around the world, electric vehicles are expected to become very common. The Japanese government has been encouraging the development of solid-state batteries, arguing that if the status quo remains the same, most technologies related to car performance will depend on China.

The Japanese government is setting up a fund of about 2 trillion yen ($19.2 billion) to support decarbonization technology. Policymakers will consider using the fund to provide hundreds of billions of yen in subsidies to fund the development of new batteries with the aim of supporting the development of large-scale production infrastructure in Japan. As solid-state batteries use the world's limited reserves of lithium, the government will help acquire the material.

The rest of the world is following suit. Germany's Volkswagen plans to start producing solid-state batteries as early as 2025 through a joint venture with an American start-up. Chinese technology company Qingtao (Kunshan) Energy Development Co., Ltd. will invest 1 billion yuan ($153 million) in research and development in areas such as solid-state batteries. The investment will last for three years starting in 2021.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Li Auto Delivers 27,668 Vehicles in January 2026, Expands Charging Network
7 hours ago
Li Auto Delivers 27,668 Vehicles in January 2026, Expands Charging Network
Read More
Li Auto Delivers 27,668 Vehicles in January 2026, Expands Charging Network
Li Auto Delivers 27,668 Vehicles in January 2026, Expands Charging Network
Li Auto: 27,668 vehicles were delivered in January 2026. On February 1, 2026, Li Auto announced its delivery data for January 2026. In January 2026, Li Auto delivered 27,668 new vehicles. As of January 31, 2026, the cumulative historical delivery volume of Li Auto reached 1,567,883 vehicles. As of January 31, 2026, Li Auto had 547 retail centers across the country, covering 159 cities; there were 547 after - sales maintenance centers and authorized service centers, covering 221 cities. Li Auto had put 3,966 Li Auto Supercharger stations into use nationwide, with 21,945 charging piles.
7 hours ago
[China Recalls Over 38 Million Motor Vehicles During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period]
Jan 31, 2026 16:04
[China Recalls Over 38 Million Motor Vehicles During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period]
Read More
[China Recalls Over 38 Million Motor Vehicles During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period]
[China Recalls Over 38 Million Motor Vehicles During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period]
On January 29, according to information released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, China further improved its defective products recall system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Over the five-year period, a total of 1,074 recalls were conducted for motor vehicles, involving 38.0352 million units, and 4,190 recalls for consumer goods, covering 40.4019 million items.
Jan 31, 2026 16:04
[Vietnam's FPT Group Establishes Semiconductor Chip Packaging and Testing Facility]
Jan 31, 2026 16:01
[Vietnam's FPT Group Establishes Semiconductor Chip Packaging and Testing Facility]
Read More
[Vietnam's FPT Group Establishes Semiconductor Chip Packaging and Testing Facility]
[Vietnam's FPT Group Establishes Semiconductor Chip Packaging and Testing Facility]
On January 28, Vietnam’s FPT Group announced the establishment of the country’s first locally-owned and operated semiconductor packaging and testing plant. The facility’s Phase 1 (2026–2027) will cover 1,600 m², housing six testing lines and a reliability testing zone, with completion expected by April 30. Phase 2 (2028–2030) plans to expand to about 6,000 m², adding packaging and testing lines to reach an annual capacity in the billions of units, focusing on IoT, automotive, and edge AI chips.
Jan 31, 2026 16:01
Toyota solid-state battery technology will debut in 2021 - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)