Formula 1 attracts some of the brightest minds in the automotive and engineering world, so who better to help develop the most cutting-edge road car technology.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed its AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) engineers have helped develop a new solid-state battery for potential road car use. Solid-state batteries are seen by many in the industry as the next big breakthrough technology for electric cars, as they are more energy dense, allowing for longer driving range and faster charging.
Mercedes is developing the batteries with HPP and Factorial, a solid-state battery specialist, to get this technology ready for production after years of development and experimentation.
According to Mercedes these new batteries are safer, lighter, more efficient and 25 per cent more range in the first application. Having done a number of laboratory tests, real-world testing inside a modified Mercedes EQS sedan began in February.
“Developing an automotive-scale solid-state battery underlines our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes’ chief technology officer. “We’re therefore excited to announce that we’ve started road testing with a prototype vehicle equipped with this advanced technology. We will gain crucial insights into possible series integration of this cutting-edge battery technology.”
Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of liquid, which, in theory, improves safety and allows for greater energy density and therefore more range.
“Being the first to successfully integrate lithium metal solid-state batteries into a production vehicle platform marks a historic achievement in electric mobility,” said Siyu Huang, CEO and Co-Founder of Factorial Energy. “This breakthrough demonstrates that solid-state battery technology has moved beyond the laboratory and into real-world application, setting a new benchmark for the entire automotive industry. Our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz proves that the future of electric vehicles is not just a vision, but a reality we’re delivering today.”
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