Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has unveiled the demonstration production line for all-solid-state batteries, which are being developed independently by Honda for mass production at the site located at Honda R&D Co., Ltd. In Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
When conducting technical verification to establish a mass production process on the demonstration line, Honda will determine the basic specifications of the battery cells, with an aim to begin applying its all-solid-state batteries to the electrified models introduced to market in the second half of the 2020s.
Honda built the demonstration line to replicate the processes required for mass production. It has a total floor area of approximately 27,400 m2 (295,000 ft2) and is equipped with facilities and equipment that enable verification of each production process. This includes weighing and mixing of electrode materials, coating and roll pressing of electrode assembly and the formation of cells, and assembly of the module.
The construction of the facility was completed in the spring, with almost all key equipment necessary for verification now installed. Honda is planning to begin battery production on this demonstration line in January 2025 and will conduct verification of mass production technologies and costs for each process, while also developing battery cell specifications.
By increasing cost competitiveness of its all-solid-state batteries through the adoption of a highly efficient production process and by expanding application of the batteries to a wide range of Honda mobility products, including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft, Honda aims to further reduce battery costs via economies of scale and expand the joy of mobility.
When conducting technical verification to establish a mass production process on the demonstration line, Honda will determine the basic specifications of the battery cells, with an aim to begin applying its all-solid-state batteries to the electrified models introduced to market in the second half of the 2020s.
Honda built the demonstration line to replicate the processes required for mass production. It has a total floor area of approximately 27,400 m2 (295,000 ft2) and is equipped with facilities and equipment that enable verification of each production process. This includes weighing and mixing of electrode materials, coating and roll pressing of electrode assembly and the formation of cells, and assembly of the module.
The construction of the facility was completed in the spring, with almost all key equipment necessary for verification now installed. Honda is planning to begin battery production on this demonstration line in January 2025 and will conduct verification of mass production technologies and costs for each process, while also developing battery cell specifications.
By increasing cost competitiveness of its all-solid-state batteries through the adoption of a highly efficient production process and by expanding application of the batteries to a wide range of Honda mobility products, including automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft, Honda aims to further reduce battery costs via economies of scale and expand the joy of mobility.
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MotorTranscript
00:00The all-solid-state battery, with high energy density and stable characteristics,
00:08is expected to be a game-changer that accelerates the adoption of electric vehicles.
00:16Honda is developing its own all-solid-state battery for mass production.
00:22In 2024, Honda established a demonstration production line
00:29in a 27,000 m2 facility in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan,
00:35to accelerate research aimed at mass production.
00:38The demonstration production facility consists of the C1 building for cathode formation and cell assembly,
00:56the C2 building for anode formation,
01:00and the C3 building for electrolyte activation and module assembly.
01:09Honda is introducing advanced techniques to shorten the time required to produce a single unit, the tacked time.
01:19Honda is working to establish high-speed production technologies to achieve low-cost manufacturing.
01:26The cathode in the all-solid-state battery is formed by applying a paste-like mixture of materials and solvent onto an aluminum foil substrate.
01:47Speeding up the mixing of this paste into a homogenous slurry is key to reducing costs.
01:54For this purpose, Honda has adopted a continuous in-line mixer,
02:05unlike the batch method typically used for liquid-state lithium-ion batteries.
02:13Honda is aiming for processing speeds more than three times faster than with batch processing.
02:25To form the cathode, Honda uses intermittent slurry coating,
02:31intentionally leaving certain areas of the aluminum foil substrate uncoated.
02:37The aim is to form the insulation frame in a single process, thus streamlining production.
02:55In all-solid-state batteries, the cathode and solid electrolyte must be densified
03:02applying several times the pressure used in making liquid-state lithium-ion batteries.
03:09The denser the material, the more actively ions can flow,
03:13increasing energy density and power density, charging and discharging speeds, for a given volume.
03:24To form the cathode, Honda has developed a continuous densification pressing technique using multiple rollers.
03:34By applying different pressures in stages, Honda aims to achieve a high-density, highly uniform cathode.
03:42Honda has also developed a continuous roll-to-roll assembly process,
03:48sandwiching the anode between two cathodes.
04:02A key feature of this demonstration production facility
04:06is that even though it's designed for testing, all equipment is production-scale.
04:12This eliminates the need for scaling adjustments or production method revisions,
04:17enabling a smooth transition to full-scale production.
04:25With the aim of starting mass production in the second half of the 2020s,
04:30Honda is developing all-solid-state battery production technology
04:34as part of its commitment to help realize a carbon-neutral society.