TL: DR - What You Need To Know
Toyota is nearing the required stacking speed for mass production of solid-state batteries and conducting quality tests.
Mass production of solid-state batteries could potentially happen by 2027 or 2028, which could revolutionize the EV industry.
Solid-state batteries offer advantages like higher energy capacity and shorter charging times, but they are currently expensive.
Toyota partnered with Idemitsu Kosan to develop and mass-produce all-solid-state batteries.
Why This Is Important for Retail Investors
For investors, Toyota's progress in solid-state battery technology is significant for several reasons:
Potential Investment Opportunity: Retail investors keen on the electric vehicle (EV) sector may see Toyota's advancements in solid-state batteries as a potential investment opportunity. As these batteries promise to revolutionize EVs with longer ranges and faster charging times, investing in companies at the forefront of this technology could potentially yield substantial returns.
Market Competition: Toyota's move to catch up with rivals like Tesla and Chinese EV manufacturers highlights the intense competition in the EV market. Retail investors should pay attention to how this competition unfolds, as it could impact market dynamics and stock prices of companies involved in the EV sector.
Diversification: Retail investors looking to diversify their portfolios may consider adding exposure to companies involved in solid-state battery technology. Diversification can help spread risk and potentially enhance overall portfolio performance.
Technological Breakthroughs: Toyota's claim of a “technological breakthrough” in solid-state batteries is noteworthy. Retail investors interested in technological advancements and innovation may find this development intriguing, as it could have broader implications beyond the automotive industry, potentially affecting other sectors as well.
Long-Term Impact on Energy Markets: Solid-state batteries have the potential to reshape not only the EV market but also energy storage systems. Retail investors interested in the broader energy sector may want to monitor these developments, as they could lead to changes in the energy landscape, impacting investments in renewable energy and grid storage companies.
Toyota's progress in solid-state batteries is relevant to retail investors due to its potential impact on investment opportunities in the EV and automobile sector.
How Can You Use This Information?
Here are some of the investing ideas that can be explored using this information:
Growth Investing
Long-Term EV Growth: The development of solid-state batteries could significantly enhance EV performance and market adoption. Consider EV manufacturers, battery producers, and infrastructure companies.
Technology Partnerships: Look for opportunities in companies partnering with innovators like Toyota to develop advanced technologies. These partnerships may lead to significant growth if breakthroughs are achieved.
Value Investing
Battery Manufacturing: Consider investing in established battery manufacturers that could benefit from increased demand for solid-state batteries in the automotive and energy storage sectors.
Supply Chain: Look for value in companies within the solid-state battery supply chain, including materials suppliers and manufacturers of components required for battery production.
Toyota Nears Mass Production of Solid-State Batteries
Toyota (NYSE: TM) says it is close to achieving the required stacking speed for mass production of solid-state batteries and is conducting tests to ensure quality. The stacking speed refers to the rate at which the various layers and components of the battery can be assembled or stacked together during the manufacturing process.
This achievement could lead to mass production of solid-state batteries by 2027 or 2028. Solid-state batteries are seen as a potential game-changer in the EV industry, addressing concerns about charging time, capacity, and safety.
Solid-state batteries can hold more energy than current liquid electrolyte batteries and automakers and analysts expect them to speed transition to EVs. An EV powered by a solid-state battery would have a range of 1,200 km (746 miles) and charging time of just 10 minutes, according to Toyota. Still, such batteries are expensive and likely to remain so for years. Their production also poses challenges such as a sensitivity to moisture and oxygen and the need for precise assembly to prevent short circuits.
Toyota announced a tie up with Japan's second-largest oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T) last week to develop and mass-produce all-solid-state batteries. Idemitsu Kosan has been developing solid sulfide electrolyte, a material used in the batteries.
Toyota has said it planned to introduce the batteries, which would drastically improve the driving range of EVs, as part of a strategic pivot to EVs announced in June. Toyota is now looking to make up for ground lost to Tesla and Chinese rivals such as BYD in the EV race. It has said it found a technological breakthrough that addresses durability problems in solid-state batteries and said it is developing means to mass produce them.
According to Toyota CEO Koji Sato, by bringing together the material development technologies of both companies, Idemitsu's material manufacturing technology, and Toyota's battery mass production technology, the company will engage in full-scale mass production of all-solid-state batteries.
Idemitsu has been expanding into EV battery supply chains, increasing its stake in Australian lithium developer Delta Lithium to 15% earlier this year amid a global push by automakers to electrify their fleets.
Nevertheless, some analysts remain skeptical about Toyota's ability to meet its commercialization targets, and the company acknowledges the need for further improvements in quality assurance for large-volume production. Initially, production volumes are expected to be small when solid-state batteries debut in EVs in 2027. Other companies, such as CATL and Samsung SDI, are also making progress in solid-state battery technology.