The facility will allow engineers to study materials, design, and manufacturing processes for solid-state batteries that Nissan hopes to bring to market by 2028.
Nissan on Friday unveiled a pilot production facility for solid-state battery cells, which the automaker hopes to bring to market in 2028.
Located within the Nissan Research Center in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, the facility will allow engineers to study materials, design, and manufacturing processes that can be used in future full-scale production, Nissan said in a press release. The automaker also plans to open a pilot solid-state battery production line at its Yokohama Plant in fiscal year 2024.
Nissan believes solid-state batteries will dramatically lower costs through the use of less-expensive materials. The technology will reduce cell costs to $75 per kwh in fiscal year 2028 and $65 per kwh after that, allowing EVs to achieve price parity with internal-combustion vehicles, the automaker said.
These potential benefits have attracted several other automakers to solid-state batteries. Like Nissan, Toyota is taking an in-house approach, aiming to have workable solid-state batteries later this decade. Other automakers have invested in startups. Volkswagen is backing QuantumScape; BMW and Ford have invested in Solid Power; and Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis have funded Factorial Energy.