Subaru Now Testing Solid State Batteries, But Not For EVs

With solid state batteries alleged to be the x-factor that will make all-electric vehicles too good to resist, the entire industry has been hyping them up for years. While Toyota is supposed to be the automaker having made the most development progress, Subaru recently announced that it’s already testing them on assembly lines. But they aren’t being installed into vehicles, they’ve instead been equipped within industrial robots.

On Monday, Subaru announced that it had begun testing small, ceramic-packaged all-solid-state batteries (model PSB401010H) manufactured by Maxell, Ltd. earlier this month. The units were said to be going into “industrial robots and programmable logic controllers” at its Oizumi Plant in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture — a facility responsible for manufacturing engines and transmissions.

Solid state batteries are alleged to be game changers for all-sorts of products, particularly all-electric vehicles. Assumed to offer improved energy density at lower weights, the pivot to solid state batteries should offer vehicles with superior range. They are likewise believed to yield improved charging times and improved safety pertaining to incidents of thermal runaway. Longevity is another factor assumed to improve and the same goes for retaining energy density in exceptionally hot or cold environments.

But they’ve proven difficult to manufacture and exceptionally costly, especially at the sizes required to make them useful for automotive applications. There have also been concerns that their lifespan may not be as good as originally assumed due to the brittle nature of the materials involved and the need for near perfect electrical contacts. While we’ve seen them creeping into smaller devices, making them rugged enough for larger applications has been an issue.

Regardless, Subaru seems happy to test them on its robots during a period where practically every manufacturer wants to tout its assembly lines as being on the cutting edge.

From Subaru:

In the automobile manufacturing process, industrial robots that enable factory automation are typically equipped with primary batteries as backup power supplies to protect memory. Normally, industrial equipment using primary batteries requires battery replacement every one to two years, and used batteries are disposed of as industrial waste. In this initiative, by installing all-solid-state batteries in the industrial robots used at our factory, Subaru aims to reduce both industrial waste and maintenance work for industrial robots by utilizing the long battery life of over 10 years without replacement. Through these efforts, Subaru aims to realize its goal of a circular economy.

Assuming this will result in a “circular economy” seems like a stretch. But it might save the brand some trouble in terms of keeping factories operational. It also lets the business engage in some light virtue signaling.

Subaru has a stated goal of “Delivering Happiness to All,” which involves “promoting sustainability on a Group-wide, global basis under its Subaru Global Sustainability Policy.” This includes all the relevant buzz terms that have been popularized across the industry regarding climate change, electrification, and safety goals between now and 2030. Solid state batteries are supposed to be an important aspect of its broader plans.

[Images: Subaru]

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