Batteries from MIT that will last twice as much as a smartphone will be put to practical use in 2017

Startup spun out from MIT "SolidEnergy"Developed a lithium-ion battery that has twice the energy density compared with the conventional one. We have already completed a prototype battery with half or more of the size of iPhone's battery and has equal or better output, and we are planning to introduce it to the smartphone market in 2017 as we are opening the way to mass production.

SolidEnergy Systems | Reinventing the Battery
http://www.solidenergysystems.com/

Doubling battery power of consumer electronics | MIT News
http://news.mit.edu/2016/lithium-metal-batteries-double-power-consumer-electronics-0817

Startup "SolidEnergy" founded in 2012 by Mr. Hu Chi Chao who was studying as a postdoctoral fellow at MIT succeeded in developing a high energy density lithium ion battery with twice the capacity of the same size, We have been making mass production of new batteries by receiving a contribution of 12 million dollars (about 1.2 billion yen).

The SolidEnergy battery realizes a thinner thickness of 1 / 5th compared with a general anode by using an extremely thin lithium foil for the anode (negative electrode) portion. This successfully reduced the size of the battery by half. Initially, this new battery, which was functioning only in a high-temperature environment of 80 degrees, succeeded in making it function even under normal temperature environment by developing solid-liquid hybrid electrolyte. As for battery life, it is said to be about the same level as conventional lithium ion battery, so it seems that it will be a lithium ion battery whose size is completely halved.


A new type battery (left) made of half the size of the iPhone 6 realizes 2000 mAh battery capacity exceeding 1800 mAh of iPhone 6.


In addition, SolidEnergy's new lithium-ion battery can be manufactured using the existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing process completely, and there is a prospect of mass production.

A123 Systems, which also developed a high-performance lithium ion battery, is known as a startup spun out of MIT, but A123 Systems failed to put into practical use the battery to be developed and applied for bankruptcy in 2012. SolidEnergy was born in a bad environment where cold eyes are pushed from investors against battery development startups due to failure of A123 Systems.


Fortunately SolidEnergy succeeded in developing and developing the lithium ion battery manufacturing equipment used by A123 Systems completely from Wanxiang Group which acquired A123 Systems successfully and was able to develop. Furthermore, "The fact that it was forced to develop a new type battery using existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing equipment finally worked advantageously for practical application that a new type of battery successfully developed could be mass-produced by existing facilities "Hu CEO says.

SolidEnergy, who had borrowed equipment from A123 Systems, gained investment from investors and installed production equipment ten times as large as A123 Systems in 2015. First of all, we decided to mass-produce batteries for drone in 2016 and put them in the market. According to SolidEnergy, the new battery will be put to practical use in 2017 for smartphones. In the future, introduction to electric vehicles is also taken into consideration.