Race to all-solid-state batteries draws in Japan's AGC, Idemitsu

Companies work to slash time and cost of making vital material

AGC set up a pilot production facility for making solid electrolytes at the Yokohama Technical Center. (Photo courtesy of AGC)

TAKAKO FUJIU and SHOYA OKINAGA, Nikkei staff writers

November 11, 2023 18:36 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese materials maker AGC and energy group Idemitsu Kosan have made strides toward mass producing the main ingredient in all-solid-state batteries, which are seen as a next-generation power source for electric vehicles.

All-solid-state batteries contain solid electrolytes instead of the liquid ones found in lithium-ion batteries. They have been hailed as a safer, fast-charging alternative for powering EVs, but production at significant levels remains years away.