For nearly a decade, solid-state batteries have been presented as the next giant leap in electric vehicles. But somehow they always seem to be “just around the corner.” So why is the task of turning promising laboratory chemistry into millions of affordable battery packs proving to be one of the toughest engineering challenges of the energy transition, and where is this technology actually up to in 2026? 🎉 Hoodie Giveaway Winners 🎉 Thanks to everyone who took part – I’ve now randomly selected the 10 winners: @lorenzoventura7701 @neilgarcia9127 @mikaellinberger6645 @angelaanderson2662 @marsupialdungbucket @annieellison2046 @joshMorland @catherinegreen8440 @rivmey @michaelreid2329 If you’re on this list, congratulations! Please email me at [email protected] within 28 days, quoting your YouTube handle, so I can arrange delivery. Thanks again to everyone who entered – really appreciate the support for the channel 👍 Help support this channel's independence at http://www.patreon.com/justhaveathink Or with a donation via Paypal by clicking here https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GWR73EHXGJMAE&source=url You can also help keep my brain ticking over during the long hours of research and editing via the nice folks at BuyMeACoffee.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/justhaveathink Reference Links ONRL Paper on Zwitterions https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369702125002858 Check out other YouTube Climate Communicators Simon Clark: youtube.com/user/SimonOxfPhys ClimateTown: youtube.com/channel/UCuVLG9pThvBABcYCm7pkNkA Dr Gilbz youtube.com/@DrGilbz zentouro: youtube.com/user/zentouro Climate Adam: youtube.com/user/ClimateAdam Kurtis Baute: youtube.com/user/ScopeofScience Sarah Karvner: youtube.com/channel/UCRwMkTu8sCwOOD6_7QYrZnw Beckisphere: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT39HQq5eDKonaUV8ujiBCQ Our Changing Climate : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ
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We can use them to store energy from fusion reactors when we move to Mars
Nuclear fusion is always 30 years away. Solid State batteries are always 30 months away .
Captain Solidstate and the Zwitterions! The reboot we've all been waiting for.
Commenting for the algorithm because Dave sums up this so well there’s nothing to add.
It must be a bit depressing building factories in fast moving fields. By the time it is finished, it is already almost obsolete.
I think CATL just announced it is launching full scale production of its Sodium Ion Battery this year.
Solid state batteries have become a punch line. I can remember a time when electric cars were a punch line. Solar panels where a punch line when President Jimmy Carter put them on the White house. Early IBM computers filled entire buildings, now they fit in your shirt pocket. I agree with Dave's synopsis, Solid state batteries will be developed over time with multiple small advancements. It's not sexy, but it is how humans usually solve very difficult problems.
Interesting stuff, cheers Dave
I think the aim at the future and big breakthroughs (while good and all) make people forget and overlook how much has changed in, the now, conventional NMC and LFP chemistries. lifespan, reliability, cycle life, cost, etc has all improved alot over the laste years to decade
Thanks for the solid update Dave-- you state the case well.
I'm really glad no one mentioned Donut Labs. Duh!
Informative, persuasive and excellently presented. Is it really real? I do hope so
as a confirmed delusional early adopter, I think that battery tech is changing so quickly that it is detrimental to bet on any single chemistry at this time. The hard part is we need the results now, to know how to move forward, but as soon as you place your bets, the situation changes.
Best channel for measured analysis of new energy tech. Solid research coupled with earned wisdom.
1:27 solid joke there 😂
Hang on Dave. So much has changed in a short time frame. No more scare stories about running out of lithium or copper. No more stories about EV fires 10 tomes a day. No more children mining cobalt and higher energy density. 600 mike range 20 minute charging, in the UK and Sodium batteries in mass production. Semi solid state is on sale (MG4)
Thank you so much!! You are right!! Even the humble light bulb underwent a humongous development over 100 years !!
My first off grid installation, on a sailboat, was built on flooded lead acid. I moved to AGM and watched the batteries die and am currently Lithium Iron Phosphate which is a game changer for reliable off grid life. Many thanks to the people researching this tech and to Dave for keeping track of it
ZWITTER Ions are so common. All Amino acids are Zwitter ions . There are proteins that are built to do electron & charge transfer . Proteins
Good stuff. Well presented and clear. Thank you.