The EV Revolution

The EV Revolution

It is a near certainty that this decade will witness an exponential growth of EVs. Historically, the automobile industry has had a deep connect with the chemical industry over last several decades. The EVs will be no different. It will profoundly reshape the chemical industry in the next decade and the decades to come. The impact will be driven by two factors:

1)    How will the EVs be powered?

2)    How will the weight of EVs be reduced?

There are 2 ways to power the EVs – Batteries and Fuel Cells.

The battery vs fuel cell debate has been raging for many years now. The automakers have been split between the 2 camps. Both camps have passionate proponents. The main advantage of fuel cells over batteries was their higher energy to weight ratio. Also batteries typically need several hours for charging. But fuel cells are expensive, and a fuel cell powered car has to carry compressed hydrogen, a potentially unsafe proposition.

But this argument appears to have been turned on its head, by Toyota’s dramatic announcement of a solid-state Lithium battery that can be charged fully in 10 minutes and deliver a trip of 500 kms. Also very significantly, the solid-state battery eliminates the use of flammable liquid electrolytes. Solid-state battery would be a game-changer in the growth of EVs. Other automakers, notably Nissan and Volkswagen are also believed to be actively pursuing this route.

As the name suggests, solid-state batteries use solid electrolytes. Three types of solid electrolytes have been recognised:

1)    Inorganic solid electrolytes

2)    Polymer electrolytes

3)    Composite electrolytes

Lot of action is expected in the next 2 years in the development of robust solid electrolytes. The first solid-state battery powered vehicle is expected to be rolled out in 2023-24.