Nissan is teaming up with an unlikely partner in NASA to develop new solid state electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
According to the Japanese automaker the new battery will be about half the size of current lithium ion batteries and be able to fully charge in just 15 minutes.
With the smaller size, it will also be much lighter, safer, and cheaper to produce.
The company believes the cost can be reduced to $75 per kWh by 2028 and $65 per kWh thereafter, placing EVs at the same cost level as gasoline-powered vehicles.
“They have an energy density approximately twice that of conventional lithium-ion batteries, significantly shorter charging time due to superior charge/discharge performance, and lower cost thanks to the opportunity of using less expensive materials,” the company said in a press release.
Although still in the early stages of development Nissan Executive Vice President Kunio Nakaguro is excited about the progress made thus far as says the battery will be “a game-changer.”
Nissan has opened a prototype production facility at the Nissan Research Center in Kanagawa Prefecture, and is aiming to open a pilot plant in 2024 before launching the final product in 2028.
