April 12, 2022—Nissan is working with NASA on a new battery for electric vehicles that will be quicker to charge and lighter while still remaining safe to use.
According to ABC News, this all-solid-state battery will replace the lithium-ion battery currently in use for an upcoming Nissan pilot plant launch in 2024 and product launch in 2028.
“Both NASA and Nissan need the same kind of battery,” said Corporate Vice President Kazuhiro Doi. The collaboration with the U.S. space program, in conjunction with the University of San Diego, involves testing with many different varieties of material.
The main goal of this extensive testing is to avoid the use of more expensive materials that are needed for lithium-ion batteries, such as rare metals.
The all-solid-state battery will be half the size of Nissan's current battery, and it will fully charge in just 15 minutes. This is compared to a traditional charging time of several hours.
Nissan has some previous experience in this kind of field with the success of the Leaf electric car. It has been around since 2010 and has sold more than half a million units across the globe, albeit with different battery technology.
Nissan is not the only player in the game. General Motors and Honda recently announced that they are working together on a project that promises to be the next generation of electric vehicles.
But that won't stop Nissan in its tracks. Executive Vice President Kunio Nakaguro is confident in Nissan's approach, saying that their battery is certain to be "a game-changer" and citing their competitive nature as a company.
