"End of Gas Cars? Japan's Solid-State Battery Breakthrough"

Preface

Japan's breakthrough in solid-state battery technology seems to have ushered the new energy vehicle industry into a new stage of competition. Can it really charge in 10 minutes and have a range of 1500 kilometers? Does this mean the end of the era of fuel-powered vehicles? How will domestic new energy vehicles respond to this challenge?

I. The "Overtaking on the Inside" Strategy of Japanese Companies

Over the past half-century, Japanese automakers have been almost invincible in the global fuel vehicle market, with brands like Toyota and Honda being household names. With the rise of new energy vehicles, especially the rapid progress of China's power battery industry, Japanese cars have gradually lost their former glory.

Data shows that in 2022, Toyota's global sales of pure electric vehicles were only 24,000, while BYD could sell 240,000 in just one month! This huge gap forced the proud Japanese automakers to re-examine their strategic direction.

Faced with China's strong performance in the lithium battery field, Toyota chose to "change lanes" instead of "head-on competition". They realized that it was not very meaningful to just catch up with existing lithium battery technology, so they decisively turned to the development of solid-state batteries.

Toyota not only invested 1.5 trillion yen in lithium battery research and development, but also quietly accumulated more than 1300 solid-state battery patents, becoming the company with the most solid-state battery patents in the world.

Behind this series of actions is Toyota's ambition to achieve "overtaking on the inside" with the help of solid-state batteries.Toyota claims that their solid-state batteries can be fully charged in just 10 minutes with a driving range of 1500 kilometers, which is nothing short of a "game-changer" in the new energy vehicle industry!

Not only that, but Toyota also plans to mass-produce solid-state batteries within two years, aiming to become a "comeback weapon against China." These figures sound as if they were taken from a science fiction novel, but if they are truly realized, it would be a huge leap for the new energy vehicle industry.

II. The "Golden Bell and Iron Shirt" of Solid-State Batteries

Although solid-state batteries have excellent performance, the high cost is like dressing them in a "Golden Bell and Iron Shirt," making ordinary people hesitate to approach.

It is important to know that the production of solid-state batteries requires the use of rare metals such as zirconium and germanium, as well as the copper-lithium composite tape worth 10,000 yuan per kilogram; the prices of these materials are simply comparable to gold.

According to estimates, the current cost price of solid-state batteries exceeds 300,000 yuan, which is several times that of ordinary lithium batteries!

Even if there are breakthroughs in solid-state battery technology, the market, which is like a "glass heart," is not so easy to move.

On one hand, the high cost deters many consumers; on the other hand, whether existing charging stations and other infrastructure can support this new type of battery is also a significant issue.

After all, if the charging facilities cannot keep up, buying a car with solid-state batteries could very well become a "large toy" at home.

III. China's Technological ResponseIn China, scientific research institutions and enterprises have not been idle while Japan has taken the lead in the field of solid-state batteries. Research teams, represented by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), are actively developing domestic solid-state batteries.

According to reports, the solid-state batteries developed by USTC have performance comparable to Japanese products, but their cost is only about 4% of that of Japanese products! This is nothing short of a "black technology" explosion in the new energy vehicle industry, which is simply exhilarating.

China has demonstrated an astonishing ability in cost control for solid-state batteries. Some models under NIO have an average range of over 1000 kilometers, which not only matches the performance of Japanese solid-state batteries but also has a clear advantage in price.

In this way, China's competitiveness in the field of new energy vehicles has been significantly enhanced. It must be said that in market competition, "cost-performance ratio" is always the king.

IV. Future Uncertainty

The development of technology is like a "light-speed train"; no one knows at which station it will stop. For solid-state batteries, although Japan is temporarily ahead in patents and technology, to truly achieve large-scale commercial use, the cost issue still needs to be addressed.

It is expected to take at least 7 years to significantly reduce the cost of solid-state batteries. Who knows if any new breakthrough technologies will emerge during this period?

In today's globalized world, technological development is no longer a game for a single country, but a "puzzle game." Enterprises and research institutions from different countries can cooperate to jointly promote technological progress.

For example, in the field of solid-state batteries, there is both competition and room for cooperation between China and Japan. Such cooperation can not only accelerate the maturation of technology but also promote the healthy development of the entire industry.

ConclusionAs technology matures and cost issues are gradually resolved, the future of the new energy vehicle industry is filled with infinite possibilities. So, in this fierce competition, who will ultimately become the global leader in new energy vehicles?