BMW Starts Solid-State EV Battery Tests Using This i7

BMW Group (BMW) revealed recently that it has begun testing new solid-state battery for EVs using a specially outfitted BMW i7 test-bed.

German luxury automaker BMW (BMW Group) now stands as the latest automaker that has elected to trial solid-state battery tech for electric vehicles (EVs).

In a recent press release, the automaker revealed it has begun real-world tests using a specially outfitted BMW i7 too. This perhaps mirrors what rivals Mercedes-Benz recently did with a prototype version of its EQS – arguably the i7’s direct rival.

The SSB-equipped BMW i7 test-bed mentioned will be trialled in and around Munich over the coming months to gather various data.

Said test unit will be operated around the firm’s Munich headquarters over the coming months to gather information on temperature and operating pressure, said the automaker.

Primed in the i7 testbed mentioned is a large-format, all-solid-sate battery (ASSB) pack. Boasting a higher energy density versus current battery tech, ASSB type packs could potentially yield longer range without the disadvantages regarding weight of the overall storage system. 

According to BMW, the ASSB pack primed in the i7 testbed merges proven Gen5 Construction principles (prismatic cells in modules) with innovative module concepts to integrate ASSB cells using sulfide-based electrolytes.

According to BMW, this pack merges it its proven Gen5 construction principles (prismatic cells in modules) with innovative module concepts to integrate ASSB battery cells with sulfide-based electrolytes sourced from Solid Power – BMW’s partner tasked with developing this tech.

Critically, the effort suggests the group's current platforms could be modified and adapted to house the next-generation tech in a push to bring solid state batteries to market quicker than had previously been expected.

BMW has been pursuing and developing ASSB tech with partners Solid Power since May 2021.

Both BMW and Solid Power have been cooperating since 2016, and the automaker even invested in the start-up back in May 2021 as part of a financing round. Both then agreed to deepen their partnership at the end of 2022, spurring BMW to operate a solid cell prototype line at the CMCC (Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre) in Parsdorf.

For the uninitiated, solid-state batteries (SSBs) are widely touted as the ‘holy grail’ of EVs, and arguably crucial to their longevity as they offer greater capacity and more range than similar-sized batteries available today.

We’ll even add that their simplified composition is  both lighter in weight and less susceptible to temperature variations. Another critical advantage SSBs possess is their ability to be charged more quickly versus current contemporaries.

Besides BMW, other rivalling German automakers in the midst of pursuing and developing the tech include Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

As noted, besides BMW and its efforts with partners Solid Power, rivals Mercedes-Benz are also in the midst of pursuing and developing this tech with their partners Factorial, as are Volkswagen through its efforts with PowerCo and QuantumScape.

Critically, in China, several key automakers like BYD, SAIC, Chery, as well as batterymakers CATL, are all exploring and developing this tech too, thus indicating that SSBs will be the next big thing for EVs and xEVs.