BMW announces partnership with solid-state battery company

BMW has announced a tie-up with US solid-state battery company Solid Power to develop next-generation solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.

The German car giant is now exploring durability testing and other development issues, and aims to have solid-state batteries ready for production by 2026.

A statement released by Colorado-based Solid Power announced that the two firms will collaborate on battery technology for high-performance EVs, although it’s not yet clear if the use of 'performance' here relates to speed, range or both. 

Solid Power claims to be an industry leader in solid-state battery technology, which the company says possesses the “ultimate safety and reliability”. 

Established in 2012 and with links to the University of Colorado Boulder, Solid Power has its own facility with prototype assembly, small-scale cell production and material synthesis capabilities. 

Recent trademark filings of a range of iX-badged models suggests that BMW aims to ramp up EV activity with a number of electric SUVs. Given the timeframe of BMW’s solid-state battery target, it’s likely that these upcoming models will feature traditional liquid or gel lithium-ion batteries.