A Chinese Startup May Have Productized Solid-state Lithium Batteries

hackingbear writes: Solid-state batteries have long been heralded as The Next Big Thing after lithium-ion, with companies from all quarters racing to get them into high-volume production. Dyson, BMW and car manufacturer Fisker are just a few names that have been working on the tech for the last few years, but now, reports suggest a Chinese start-up Qing Tao Energy Development Co found by researchers from Tsinghua University might be the first to have developed and deployed a solid-state battery production line, located in Kunshan, East China, which has a capacity of 100MWh per year — which is planned to increase to 700MWh by 2020 — and that the company has achieved an energy density of more than 400Wh/kg, compared to new generation lithium-ion batteries that boast a capacity of around 250-300Wh/kg. olid-state batteries use both solid electrodes and solid electrolytes, instead of the liquid or polymer electrolytes found in Lithium-ion or Lithium polymer batteries, with an idea that they are safer, smaller, higher-capacity and cheaper than those found in today's smartphones, laptops and tablets. "Getting rid of liquid electrolytes can ensure the battery is not flammable or combustible and can even be produced in flexible packs," company co-founder and Tsinghua Ph.D. graduate Nan Cewen said.