Large-format, pure all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cells from Solid Power jointly developed with BMW have been integrated into an i7 test vehicle, which is currently undergoing trials in the Munich area. The concept battery integrated in the sedan combines Gen5 construction principles (prismatic cells in modules) with new module concepts for integrating ASSB cells.

ASSB technology promises higher energy density in a more compact storage system compared to current lithium-ion batteries.

The test program will focus on key technical challenges, including how to manage cell expansion, regulate operating pressure and optimize temperature conditions within the new battery system. As part of its ongoing test program, BMW is fully integrating Solid Power’s sulfide-based all-solid-state battery cells into a complete battery pack. Over the coming months, this integration is expected to yield valuable insights that will help advance the development of next-generation battery technology.

Further development is required to implement ASSB technology in a competitive overall storage system.

Martin Schuster, VP of battery cell and cell module at BMW Group, said, “Our BMW i7 ASSB test vehicle is a perfect example of the BMW Group’s technology-open mindset. We are continuously advancing the development of new battery cell technologies and are constantly expanding our know-how with valuable partners such as Solid Power.”

BMW plans to set-up a solid-state cell prototype line at its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center in Parsdorf, using a research and development license and drawing on Solid Power’s experience. 

“We are extremely proud that our partnership with BMW has resulted in the first demonstration of truly all-solid-state battery cells in a vehicle. We believe in the promise of ASSBs and continue to drive innovation of our sulfide electrolyte in support of that future for EVs,” said John Van Scoter, president and CEO of Solid Power.

BMW and Solid Power have worked together for many years, and since 2022, have expanded their collaboration, working closely to accelerate the development of ASSB technology.

In other news,

BMW has revealed its rolling testbed vehicle for drivetrain and dynamics management technology developed for the Neue Klasse – the next generation of BMW vehicles. Click here to read the full story

In the March 2025 edition of ATTI, BMW’s outgoing development director, Frank Weber discusses the program behind the Neue Klasse in more detail.

Protean Electric, a developer of in-wheel motors (IWM), has unveiled a new set of products based on its Gen 5 ProteanDrive modular architecture. The first offering is the ProteanMotor Pm18-800V which develops 110kW and 1500Nm; and the 800V SiC Twinverter is a 500kW inverter configured as dual 250kw inverters capable of 650Arms phase current and 98.5% peak efficiency.

Both these new products are based on the 400V Pm18 and ProteanInverter. The brand’s Gen5 platform will be showcased at the Cenex Expo 2024 taking place September 4-5 at UTAC Millbrook.

Stephen Lambert, chief technology officer of Protean Electric, said, “Our IWM experience and the adaptability of our Gen5 modular platform allow us to create a compact and lightweight offering, the Pm-18 800V, alongside our industry-leading 800V SiC Twinverter.”

The ACO has released details of the next iteration of the MissionH24 prototype, as part of its ongoing quest to run an FCEV class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2026. To date, a LMP3 based prototype has been competing in select Michelin Le Mans Cup races.

The new prototype will be equipped with fuel cell supplier Symbio’s next generation of fuel cell, which uses multiple stacks, and it is stated that the power density will be 50% greater than the current version, delivering an output of 300kW.

Plastic Omnium, which is also partnering with the ACO, has developed the H2 storage systems and contributed to their development and installation in the vehicle. The two tanks can store a total of 7.8kg (3.9kg x 2) of hydrogen at 700 bar of pressure, with a total installed weight of around 100kg. This fuel load should provide a running time between refuels of 25-30 minutes.

The car will be able to refuel using the infrastructure planned for the H2 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours, which is being developed in conjunction with TotalEnergies. A buffer battery system will also be used, with a maximum output of 400kW, which can be used in combination with the fuel cell and also enables regenerative braking.

The fuel cell and battery will feed a single electric motor with a peak output of 650kW will drive the rear wheels (the current car uses two motors) and the ACO has stated a power density of 20kW/kg, with a total weight of 30kg. Drive will be delivered through a single speed reduction transmission with a mechanical LSD.

According to the ACO, the target pace for the car (which will weight 1,300kg) should place it at the front of the GT field and the first circuit tests are scheduled for early 2025.

Electrochemical technology developer Ceres and Horiba MIRA, the European automotive engineering and testing consultancy, have sealed a long-term agreement which the parties say will expand the UK’s delivery of new fuel cell and hydrogen technology, at scale, to international markets.

Ceres develops fuel cells used for power generation and electrolysis, used in the creation of green hydrogen. It already supplies fuel cell technologies to global partners including Bosch, Weichai, Doosan and Miura.

Mark Garrett, COO at Ceres, said, “This partnership has many advantages, significant investment in the UK, the enablement of a state-of-the-art test facility to maintain Ceres’s technology leadership and support for our rapidly growing global partner base. We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with Horiba MIRA.”

The agreement will see the development of a new 240m² test facility at Horiba MIRA’s headquarters, along with additional agreements to develop next-generation testing infrastructure to support Ceres’s core technology and system development. In addition to the new testing facilities the collaboration also includes the design, manufacture and certification of fuel cell test stands by the wider Horiba group, in order that Ceres can deploy testing.

Graeme Stewart, CTO at Horiba MIRA, said, “We are delighted that Ceres has selected and invested in us as the optimum partner to manage a large-scale testing program for their fuel cell technology. Not only is Ceres’s clean energy market proposition vital for carbon reduction, but this agreement also recognizes how our Testing as a Service offer allows clients to focus on their core business with the confidence that essential testing and validation work is in highly competent hands.”

According to a report recently published by manufacturing consultancy HSSMI, the UK must rapidly accelerate the establishment of gigafactories and new battery technology development or risk losing domestic car production altogether.

“Electrification is increasing demand for the battery cells and packs powering electric vehicles,” said Axel Bindel, executive director of HSSMI. “The UK in particular is at a pivotal moment. By 2040, there will be a need for 140GWh in battery cell capacity, equivalent to five gigafactories. Currently, however, there is only 3GWh of production in the UK and, by 2030, just a further 45GWh planned, leaving a major gap – over 95GWh – between the rate of battery plant establishment and planning and the forecast demand. That is where HSSMI can play a crucial role.”

HSSMI advises global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers on the design of manufacturing plants, optimization of production efficiency and introduction of circular economy principles. It notes that thanks to the accessibility of abundant natural resources, as well as government-driven support for high-volume manufacturing and local demand for electric vehicles, the majority of global battery production – roughly 70% – is currently in Asia.

The UK, on the other hand, faces challenges including a lack of skilled technicians for cell manufacturing processes and availability of critical raw materials, as well as high production costs. Investing in more battery plants and bringing them as close as possible to car production – reducing supply chain challenges – can alleviate many of these issues, but the industry needs to act quickly. It is clear that the government is starting to make funds available for the industry, with more collaboration potentially needed to steer the country to success.

Robin Foster, battery solutions lead at HSSMI, explained. “Typically, it could take a gigafactory up to five years from an initial idea to become fully operational. Demand for cell manufacturing, however, is expected to surge in the next four to five years. It is not enough to have one or the other – we can’t focus just on gigafactory creation without being strategic about new technologies. So in parallel, the UK must exploit and commercialize the wealth of new battery technology developed locally. The typical time, however, for new technology to become commercially ready can be 10 years from lab to high-volume production. Engagement with a scale-up specialist can provide feedback early on for commercial viability, disrupting the traditional linear development program and speeding up the time to market.”

HSSMI has laid out five key steps in its report, which it claims will allow the UK to accelerate gigafactory creation:

Make the most of what exists already
Developing products that can fit into existing production facilities or use off-the-shelf machines will enable easier uptake of new cell technology. Where new processes are created, a further development program will be required for the manufacturing machines, potentially delaying commercialization.

Know your target market
The design of a new battery must be focused on all the needs of the application. While development may target one parameter, such as high-capacity chemistry, application requirements for other aspects (cell size, electrode specification) can lead to late design changes, extra costs through revalidation trials, equipment retooling or replacement.

Understand the costs involved
Materials used in lithium-ion cells are expensive, so high process yields are critical. Taking steps toward optimized production early in product development is key to keeping lab-to-production timescales minimal and reducing waste material costs during upscaling activities.

Conduct manufacturing feasibility studies early
Feasibility studies are important to understand gigafactory-specific characteristics, facility requirements (size, utilities, labor) and how the product selected for manufacture influences them. Unique cell design features that increase production time or complexity could lead to unprofitable products. Early studies facilitate parallel development of the product for performance and manufacture to ensure commercial viability.

Engage with scale-up specialists
Specialists can address many challenges swiftly, saving time and money through leveraging existing supplier relationships, equipment knowledge, facility design and scale-up experience.

Trends are already emerging of automotive OEMs partnering with cell manufacturers and entering into joint ventures to secure battery cell supply. Staying close to cell manufacturers allows automotive OEMs to eliminate supply chain risks such as concerns about transporting dangerous goods and longevity of supply, and use the opportunity to co-develop battery cells, packs and EVs. HSSMI believes the UK must attract and develop high-volume cell manufacturing capability to decrease the temptation for domestic automotive OEMs to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“At the moment, the Envision AESC facility in Sunderland is the only UK facility manufacturing lithium-ion cells at scale (2-3GWh). AMTE Power and Britishvolt have both announced plans for UK-based gigafactories that will help supply local products to the UK automotive sector,” added David Stewart, engineering director, research and innovation at HSSMI. “Nonetheless, further investment in the UK automotive industry is crucial, as it has been plummeting since 2013 and in 2018 inward investment amounted to only £0.59bn [US$0.83bn].

“Government-backed bodies such as the Advanced Propulsion Centre and the Faraday Institution are continuously working to accelerate battery technology by promoting and catalyzing innovation and collaboration between manufacturers, technology providers, automotive OEMs, research organizations and academics, through various funding opportunities.”

HSSMI believes it is critical that the government continues to back the work of these organizations and that R&D funding is channeled into the automotive industry.

“Action to ramp up capacity needs to be taken within the coming year,” concluded Bindel. “In the most detrimental scenario, UK-based automotive OEMs would seek to leave the country. This would adversely affect the entire economy, not just the automotive sector, as it accounts for 14.4% (worth £44bn [US$62bn]) of total UK exports of goods. But with close collaboration between investors, customers, government, technology developers and suppliers, the challenges can be overcome to provide competitively priced, high-quality, high-performance, even potentially world-leading, battery cells.”

Hydrogen is the favored alternative fuel for German motorists according to a survey by Deutsche Energie-Agentur (DENA), with 34% of respondents preferring the fuel over alternatives if available at the same price point. Overall, it found that 74% of drivers would opt for an alternative to gasoline or diesel power provided there was price parity. Interestingly, BEVs came in third (17%) after hydrogen and hybrids (18%).

These findings tally with the German government’s efforts to increase investment in hydrogen infrastructure, with it recently releasing a National Hydrogen strategy to further hydrogen production using renewable energy, as well as associated technologies.

Manufacturers seem less enthusiastic about the advancement of hydrogen vehicles, with Daimler halting development of the technology for passenger vehicles earlier this year. However, BMW has recently reiterated its commitment to fuel cell development for cars.

The commercial market looks more promising, with Mercedes Trucks continuing research into fuel cells (in collaboration with Volvo), and Hyundai (which has a German base) recently revealing it would ship 10 of its Xcient fuel cell, heavy-duty trucks to Switzerland.

German OEM BMW has revealed that its new 2 Series Gran Coupé will launch with a choice of three engines – one diesel and two gasoline.

A revised 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine will power the entry level BMW 218i. Tech advances mean that this unit has reduced CO₂  emissions by 29g/km, and power has been boosted by 4ps to 142ps.

Now 5kg lighter, the 218i will generate peak torque of 220Nm, and features an over-boost function that briefly produces an extra 10Nm in fourth gear or higher. The BMW 218i will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 8.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 215km/h. The unit will return between 5l/100km and 5.5l/100km (WLTP).

The twin-turbo 2-liter under the hood of the M235i will deliver a maximum output of 310ps. Peak torque is 450Nm, which enables a 4.9 second zero to 100km/h sprint. Top speed is limited to 250km/h. The M235i returns between 6.5l/100km and 6.3l/100km (WLTP).

The diesel offering comes in the form of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The 220d generates a maximum power output of 192ps with a peak torque of 400Nm. The sprint from zero to 100km/h takes 7.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 234km/h. The BMW 220d will deliver between 4.4 and 4l/100km (WLTP) and emit 110g/km of CO₂ (NEDC).