Nissan did not feel it was enough just to promise it would make ASSBs (all-solid-state batteries) by 2028. The company just presented the first images not only of these cells’ prototypes but also a video of where they are currently made. You can check it out below.
What we can see at this point is that the production is pretty much handmade, with just a few machines to take care of the process. With six years to go, that makes perfect sense, but it also reminds us of something crucial: developing the batteries is just part of the problem. Manufacturing them at a competitive cost makes it even harder to achieve.
Nissan did not explain what is the black powder that it mixes to create a goo of the same color. That’s what is used to make the first layer placed on the pouch cell. It looks like graphene. When that layer dries up, the Japanese carmaker adds a foil with the same color as copper. A lithium foil looks like silver. To be honest, it looks like an ordinary cell apart from the fact that it does not seem to have a liquid electrolyte.
Another aspect of the prototype cells that caught our attention is that they are still working with single layers. Either that or Nissan just disclosed very early stages of their ASSB research, which is already more advanced than what it was willing to share. Only the Japanese carmaker will be able to answer that.
That’s a substantial difference compared to what QuantumScape has already achieved with its multilayered cells. The battery startup promised it would start selling its solid-state batteries by the middle of 2024, probably with a vehicle from the Volkswagen group.
If that really happens, taking four more years to present something similar will be quite a burden for Nissan. The Japanese automaker may benefit from making these cells independently without having to rely on any suppliers. However, waiting four years to offer it has more chances of backfiring than of being a competitive edge.
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