Toyota reveals ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ battery tech – but solid state not until 2027

Toyota reveals ‘breakthrough’ battery technology to arrive from 2026 delivering up to 497 miles of range and big cost reductions.

The pace of progress in battery technology may be moving apace – one of the many reasons car buyers are reluctant to buy in to EVs – with the latest advancement of the tech at Toyota outlined with details of new batteries to come in the next couple of years.

The first of two new battery options we can expect by 2026 – and in actual BEVs, not PHEVs as previously suggested – is a ‘Performance’ lithium-ion battery promising range of 497 miles, 20 per cent cost reduction compared to the bZ4X and 20 minutes to charge from 10-80 per cent.

The second is a lithium-ion-phosphate ‘Popularisation’ battery constructed with the bipolar tech in Toyota’s NiMH batteries which is said to come with a 20 per cent improvement in driving range and 40 per cent lower cost compared to the bZ4X, and charging from 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes.

Further down the line – in 2027/28 – there will be a ‘High Performace’ lithium-ion battery to deliver range of 621 miles, a 10 per cent reduction in cost compared to the ‘Performance’ battery and charging from 10-80 per cent in 20 minutes.

Also in the mix, still, are solid-state batteries, with Toyota declaring they have cracked the obstacle of shorter life for solid-state batteries, and will deliver them by 2027-28 with a range of 621 miles and 10-80 per cent charge in 10 minutes.

Toyota’s Takero Kato said:

We will need various options for batteries, just as we have different types of engines. It is important to offer battery solutions compatible with a variety of models and customer needs.