Written by: Ewan Strydom 

Over the last couple of years, there has been more and more noise around electric vehicles, or EV’s as they are otherwise known as. It is the future of transportation, but is as appealing as an EV sounds, they still face quite a number of hurdles.

I have been fortunate enough to have been behind the wheel of a couple of electric cars ranging from big to small, BMW to Jaguar and even VW. Although I love my petrol powered motorbike and bakkie, I was blown away by these EV’s, and if my wallet can accommodate, I would switch in a heartbeat, especially to feel that immediate and endless power on a daily.

BUT, like I mentioned, there are still those hurdles that they need to overcome before it can really roll out on large scale and into you garage.

The biggest issues at this stage, although the tech has been advancing very fast, is the batteries. There are other smaller hurdles like, how to roll out a big and effective enough charging grid across the country, but at this point the main focus is still on the battery of the EV, one of the most important components of an EV.

At this stage the batteries of EV’s aren’t as durable as we need them to be, they also don’t give us the range we would typically need from a car, and they take long to charge, unless you have time to make it to a fast charging station of have an expensive setup in your garage. Furthermore, should something go wrong after a couple of years, it’s very expensive to replace.

The good news is that solid state batteries are on the way! As it currently stands, the batteries used in EV’s are Lithium Ion batteries, much like what your phone or laptop uses. I am no expert, but these batteries have a liquid in side that facilitates the charge and production of energy. One of the biggest drawbacks of lithium ion battery in EV’s is that it can cause flames in the event of an accident if ruptured which could prove fatal.

Enter, solid state batteries! What makes these different is that it uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium ion batteries. What does this mean? Well, for starters, solid state batteries are much more durable than it’s counterpart. It is said that currently the batteries in EV’s will last you between 7 and 10 years before you need to have them replaced, and like I’ve mentioned, it’s pricey. Solid state batteries are expected to have a much longer lifespan. Furthermore, the range issue can finally be address and we’ll be able to see EV’s reach greater distances on a single charge because the solid state batteries are much more densely packed with kilowatt hours, and it is expected to be much safer and more stable.

If these issues can be addressed by using Solid state batteries, the EV landscape is going to change rapidly. There are currently a lot of companies that are investing in this technology, and big names like Nissan, Ford, Toyota and a company called Quantum Scape, are working hard on making these Solid State batteries a reality and introduce them into EV that you can purchase by hopefully 2024!

Yes, lithium ion batteries are getting better, but to really give the EV market a push forward, solid state batteries might be the answer.

Let’s park it here, and maybe soon, an EV in your garage!