CEO of Israeli Battery Company: "It is naive to think we can beat China with solid-state batteries!"
On September 23, South Korean media "Today's Finance" published an article stating, "It is naive for the West to believe that it can beat China by mass-producing solid-state batteries." Doron Myersdorf, CEO of Israeli battery startup StoreDot, expressed this view in a recent interview with the U.S. industry trade magazine EETimes.
Myersdorf stated that battery developers such as QuantumScape and Solid Power are betting on solid-state battery technology to achieve higher energy density and faster charging speeds, but there are fundamental flaws in this approach.
He said that solid-state batteries, due to their high manufacturing costs, are likely to be limited to small-scale markets in the long run. Moreover, even if they are successfully developed, it would take at least 10 to 20 years to achieve mass production due to issues such as material availability and the construction of new equipment.
He added that if solid-state batteries are specially developed, most existing lithium-ion battery factories would lose their relevance. Additionally, QuantumScape would face the practical challenge of building a new production platform to produce solid-state battery separators.
Currently, Samsung SDI and Toyota are conducting trial production of solid-state batteries. However, even if they enter mass production in 2027, it will take a considerable amount of time to establish material supply chains and mass production systems. Especially, the issue of high production costs has not been resolved, so it is likely that solid-state batteries will remain limited to small-scale production for a long period of time.
Myersdorf pointed out that unlike these Western companies, China is more deeply developing existing lithium-ion technology and continuously optimizing electrolyte components and safety mechanisms to reduce costs and build a complete supply chain. This gives China a more superior competitiveness compared to solid-state batteries.
He said, "I think Western companies have made a fundamental strategic mistake. We are obsessed with inventing next-generation batteries, while China has chosen a strategy of improving and advancing existing technologies. I believe Western companies are at least 10 years behind China in the battery industry right now."
In addition, besides technical challenges, he pointed out that a fundamental problem Western companies face is the slow acceptance of electric vehicles by traditional automobile manufacturers. He pointed out that decades of investment in internal combustion engine technology have led to a mindset of inertia.
Therefore, he emphasized that Western manufacturers' future not only requires technological innovation but also a fundamental shift in strategic thinking and market strategies, re-focusing on vertical integration and strong government industrial policies.
StoreDot was founded in 2012 and is an Israeli battery design company that has developed the world's first ultra-fast charging battery unit.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844043140345867/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.