Tariffs or Not, Stellantis Hatches Big Solid State Battery Plan

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Final Up to date on: twenty fourth April 2025, 09:55 am

Tariffs, schmeriffs. That’s the message from automaker Stellantis. The corporate is laying plans for its future even whereas preventing tooth and nail for an even bigger slice of the US auto market. That features a solid-state battery roadmap, with the purpose of introducing the highly effective new know-how subsequent 12 months in a fleet of electrified muscle automobiles.

One other Milestone For The Strong-State Battery Of The Future

Strong-state EV batteries have been a piece in progress for the previous 10 years or so. Hybrid variations are starting to look, however some trade observers typically don’t see a market-ready, all-solid iteration hit the EV trade till the early 2030’s (see extra solid-state background here).

Stellantis is among the many battery stakeholders leaping the solid-state timeline by a couple of years. In October final 12 months, the corporate introduced plans to introduce its new Dodge Charger Daytona EV in 2026, that includes an all-solid-state EV battery developed by the US startup Factorial Power.

“Factorial’s FEST® offers substantial advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries including higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance and a potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time,” Stellantis defined in a press assertion, neatly summing up some great benefits of solid-state battery know-how as utilized to EVs.

One Extra Step To The Strong-State Battery Of The Future

Stellantis is just not placing all its EV battery eggs in a single basket, having fashioned a analysis partnership with the French Different Energies and Atomic Power Fee final August, leveraging its expertise in Li-ion battery know-how. Nonetheless, the pursuit of all-solid-state batteries seems to be heating up.

Earlier at present, Stellantis and Factorial introduced that Factorial’s EV-sized solid-state battery has sailed previous a key validation stage. “The validated 77Ah FEST® cells demonstrated an energy density of 375Wh/kg with over 600 cycles progressing towards automotive qualification, a milestone for large-format lithium-metal solid-state battery,” Stellantis defined.

If you happen to caught that factor about “progressing towards automotive qualification,” that’s one other approach of claiming that the brand new battery is just not prepared for prime time but. Nonetheless, the validation milestone is a major one, indicating that the 2 companions are heading in the right direction. “This breakthrough puts us at the forefront of the solid-state revolution, but we are not stopping there,” vowed Stellantis Chief Engineering and Know-how Officer Ned Curic in a press assertion.

As described by Stellantis, the brand new battery can cost from 15% to greater than 90% in 18 minutes at room temperature. Whereas 18 minutes is longer than the fast-charging Li-ion batteries of at present, the reward is a superior efficiency payoff.

The 18 minute benchmark can also be longer than it takes to fill a coventional sedan, however then once more, when was the final time a gas-powered automobile ever crammed itself up? Apart from a vanishingly small variety of US states that prohibit self service, drivers have to face by their automobile, hand on the nozzle to maintain the gasoline flowing, for nevertheless lengthy it takes to fill their tank.

EV drivers, in the meantime, can merely plug in and stroll over to the closest comfort retailer. Stellantis and different automakers within the Ionna consortium are additionally leveling up the EV charging experience with lounge-style modeling as properly.

First The Dodge Charger, Then The World

Stellantis’s solid-state EV battery plans have been within the public eye since 2021, when the automaker introduced a five-year plan to introduce “the first competitive solid-state battery technology” to the EV market.

To date it seems like all goes in response to plan for the 2026 launch. Though the Charger muscle automobile would be the focus of consideration, Stellantis and Factorial dropped a touch that the long run is huge open.

“By closely collaborating on pack design and leveraging this disruptive technology, Stellantis and Factorial are optimizing battery pack architecture to reduce weight and improve overall system efficiency for seamless integration,” the 2 firms clarify.

“These weight savings directly enhance vehicle range and support more sustainable and affordable EV solutions,” they add.

The Tariff Complications Are Not Without end

The following steps for Stellantis and Factorial embrace testing the brand new solid-state battery below real-world driving situations, so keep tuned for extra on that.

In the meantime, the US auto market has not been variety to Stellantis. The automaker’s troubles predate the Trump’s unforced commerce wars, so it’s not all of the fault of the malevolently incompetent Commander-in-Chief who occupies the Oval Workplace, however the senseless on once more, off once more juggling of tariffs doesn’t assist.

“Production at several Stellantis plants has been scaled back in recent weeks after President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported cars took effect at the start of April,” The Detroit Information reported earlier this week.”

“The automaker paused production at two major assembly plants, one in Mexico and one in Canada, which triggered about 900 temporary layoffs at several of its American powertrain and stamping facilities,” DTN continued.

On a brighter word, yesterday the automotive press reported that Stellantis has restarted its Windsor, Ontario plant, the place the Charger EV is produced. The restart enabled about half of the 900 laid-off staff to come back again to Stellantis services in Michigan and Indiana, which ship components throughout the border to the Ontario manufacturing unit.

On a good brighter word, US presidents come and go, and President Trump has solely 3.75 years left to batter his approach by the US Structure. When he lastly leaves workplace — peacefully — on January 20, 2029, a rising variety of US drivers and fleet house owners will nonetheless wish to purchase electrical autos, and US automakers will nonetheless be round to maintain the meeting strains rolling.

For that matter, Factorial will nonetheless be round to maintain the solid-state EV battery momentum going. So will its different A-list companions within the global EV industryone latest instance being the power storage powerhouse LG Chem. Proper round this time final 12 months, Factorial and LG Chem signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize their collaboration on solid-state battery supplies.

“The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of next-generation battery materials and secure future competitive advantage by combining LG Chem’s battery material capabilities and Factorial’s next-generation battery material and process innovations,” Factorial defined.

“Upon successful completion of the project, the two companies agreed to further discuss technology licensing and material supply to maintain a strategic partnership for market leadership,” they added.

As for these pesky tariffs, Republican management in Congress might clamp down on President Trump’s ham-handed destruction of the conventional order of federal enterprise, in the event that they felt so inclined. In any case, Congress is a co-equal department of presidency below the Structure. When you’ve got any ideas about that, drop a word within the remark thread. Higher but, find your representatives in Congress and allow them to know what you assume.

Photograph (cropped): Tariffs or not, Stellantis is sticking with its plan to affect a fleet of Dodge Charger muscle cars with a strong new solid-state battery from the US startup Factorial (courtesy of Stellantis).