Nissan cues up prototype ASSB plant

TO PROMOTE all-solid-state battery (ASSB) development, Nissan has unveiled a prototype production facility for laminated ASSB battery cells at its research centre in Kanagawa.

This follows on Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi’s announcement in January that the Alliance had undertaken to expand the use of common platforms to 80 per cent by 2026, while increasing research and development of solid-state battery technology. According to its Ambition 2030 plan, Nissan aims to launch a BEV with in-house-developed ASSBs by fiscal year 2028.

As part of its roadmap, the Alliance also committed to a shared battery strategy that would see it establish a production capacity of 220GWh across key EV production sites by 2030, with aims to incrementally reduce battery costs by 50 per cent by 2026 and 65 per cent by 2028.

Nissan intends to establish a pilot ASSB production line at its Yokohama Plant by fiscal year 2024 to study materials, design and manufacturing processes at the prototype facility. The Japanese firm says it believes the cost of ASSBs can be reduced to $75 per kWh in fiscal 2028 and to $65 per kWh thereafter, which may make BEV models notably cheaper to produce.

ASSBs are likely to be a game-changing because their energy density is approximately twice that of conventional lithium-ion batteries, plus they offer significantly shorter charging time (due to superior charge/discharge performance), and lower cost (because they can be made from less expensive materials).

Nissan expects to use ASSBs in a wide range of vehicle segments, including – and significantly, from an Australian perspective – ute models.

"Nissan has been a leader in electrification technology through a wide range of R&D activities, from molecular-level battery material research to the development of safe, high-performance EVs. Our initiatives even include city development using EVs as storage batteries,” said Nissan’s executive vice president in charge of R&D, Kunio Nakaguro.

“The knowledge gained from our experience supports the development of all-solid-state batteries and we’ve accumulated important elemental technologies. Going forward, our R&D and manufacturing divisions will continue to work together to utilise this prototype production facility and accelerate the practical application of all-solid-state batteries."

GoAuto reported late last year that Nissan would invest the equivalent of $A24.6 billion over the next five years in its bid to bring to market no fewer than 23 pure electric and hybrid vehicles by 2030 – 15 of which will be BEVs that utilise solid-state battery technology.

The company also has planned to reuse and recycle used battery packs, extending existing repurposing schemes into markets including China, Japan, and the United States.

Coinciding with the Ambition 2030 announcement, Nissan ripped the covers off four electric concept vehicles, one of which showed what could be the brand’s first all-electric ute. 

Not all the concept models – the Chill-Out, Hang-Out, Max-Out, and Surf-Out – will ultimately be produced, but served as a look at the brand’s future styling and technology directions.

The first of the four concept models, the Chill-Out, is a small SUV that is widely expected to replace the Leaf in the brand’s portfolio. It will be built at Nissan’s UK factory from 2025. 

The remaining three concepts (Hang-Out, Max-Out, and Surf-Out) featured solid-state battery packs, with the latter concept offering a characteristic single-cab ute layout and four-wheel drive, courtesy of Nissan’s forthcoming e-4orce dual-motor technology.