Image of the solid-state battery being developed by Honda
Compared to the general liquid lithium-ion batteries currently used in EVs, the solid-state battery is said to have various benefits, such as a higher energy density, which can significantly increase riding distance and shorten charging times.
As a result, manufacturers of four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles are each conducting research and development, and if it is put into practical use, it is expected that BEV models with performance equivalent to current gasoline and hybrid motorcycles will appear, and it is said that the electrification of motorcycles and motorcycles will progress rapidly.
- Opening of research and development facility for solid-state batteries
- Opening of research and development facility for solid-state batteries
- What's so great about Honda's solid-state battery?
- What will the performance of the new EV motorcycle coming in 2025 be?
- Looking forward to the arrival of EV motorcycles in the near future!
Opening of research and development facility for solid-state batteries
What Honda has unveiled this time is a pilot line that it has built on the grounds of the Honda R&D Center (Tochigi Sakura) in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, in order to independently conduct research and development of such solid-state batteries.
Image of the solid-state battery being developed by Honda
Compared to the general liquid lithium-ion batteries currently used in EVs, the solid-state battery is said to have various benefits, such as a higher energy density, which can significantly increase riding distance and shorten charging times.
As a result, manufacturers of four-wheeled and two-wheeled motorcycles are each conducting research and development, and if it is put into practical use, it is expected that BEV models with performance equivalent to current gasoline and hybrid motorcycles will appear, and it is said that the electrification of motorcycles and motorcycles will progress rapidly.
Opening of research and development facility for solid-state batteries
What Honda has unveiled this time is a pilot line that it has built on the grounds of the Honda R&D Center (Tochigi Sakura) in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, in order to independently conduct research and development of such solid-state batteries.
A pilot line for solid-state batteries in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture. HRC Sakura, the development base for Honda Racing (HRC), which handles Honda's racing activities such as F1 and MotoGP, is also located on the same premises.
A pilot line is a technical term used in automobile manufacturers' factories. It is a research and development line that is separate from the normal production line and is used to verify new construction methods and their workability.
According to Honda, the new pilot line for solid-state batteries has a vast total floor area of approximately 27,400 square meters, and the building has already been constructed. In addition, the delivery of the main equipment required for development and verification has been almost completed, and the line is scheduled to start operation in January 2025.
In addition, once this line is operational, it will not only be possible to develop and research Honda's unique solid-state batteries, but it will also be possible to verify the mass production technology and mass production costs of each process by reproducing the series of production processes required for mass production. As a result, it seems that they are aiming to achieve mass production in a shorter period of time.
The pilot line also reproduces the series of production processes required for mass production.
What's so great about Honda's solid-state battery?
Honda is currently developing solid-state batteries, but when will they be put to practical use and what kind of performance can we expect from them?
Honda's goal for solid-state battery performance
According to Honda, the practical application of solid-state batteries is planned for the late 2020s. In terms of performance, the riding range will be doubled in the late 2020s compared to EV models equipped with conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries. For example, if the current riding range is 500km, it will be possible to extend it to 1000km.
In addition, if the performance of solid-state batteries is further improved through technological innovation, it will be possible to extend the riding range from 500km to 1250km by 2.5 times the current range by the 2040s.
Furthermore, if the driving range is set to the same as that of conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries, for example, solid-state batteries will be 50% more compact. The weight will also be reduced by 35% in the late 2020s, and further technological innovation will make it possible to make it 45% lighter by the 2040s.
In addition, battery production costs are expected to decrease by 25% in the late 2020s and 40% by the 2040s.
In addition, compared to liquid lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries emit less flammable gas, reducing the risk of vehicle fires and improving safety. They can be used stably even at high temperatures such as 80 degrees, so they have many advantages, such as the potential for rapid charging (reducing charging time).
In current EV models, it is necessary to load a lot of batteries to extend the riding range, but the body becomes heavy, and the power consumption and handling decrease. There is also the problem of high prices. In addition, charging time, even for rapid charging, is currently nearly 30 minutes. There are also problems such as the difficulty of charging in the same short time as a gasoline vehicle can be refueled at a gas station.
The solid-state battery that Honda is developing is expected to resolve these issues and make EV models more commonly used (like current gasoline-powered vehicles), so it is worth paying close attention to in the future.
Honda plans to invest approximately 43 billion yen in research and development of solid-state batteries
What will the performance of the new EV motorcycle coming in 2025 be?
By the way, Honda plans to release its first electric sports model in 2025. In November 2024, at the motorcycle trade fair "EICMA 2024" held in Milan, Italy, the company unveiled the "EV Fun Concept." What kind of performance will this model have?
EV Fan Concept
Details have yet to be announced, but if it is to be released in 2025, we can assume that the battery will not be a solid-state battery, but a conventional liquid lithium-ion battery. Even so, Honda says that the riding performance will be equivalent to a mid-size gasoline model.
However, they have announced that the "range will be over 100km." It is unclear how far 100km or more means, but if a motorcycle is equipped with a conventional liquid lithium-ion battery, as mentioned above, a lot of batteries must be loaded to extend the range.
However, with motorcycles having limited loading space, it is difficult to load many batteries, and even if you can load them, the body will be heavy. Considering this, it seems that we cannot expect the same range as current gasoline motorcycles, which can travel around 300km on a single tank of water.
For now, the new EV model scheduled to appear in 2025 may still be in development.
Attention is focused on the performance of Honda's first EV sports motorcycle, which will be available on the market in 2025.
Looking forward to the arrival of EV motorcycles in the near future!
Another thing that caught my attention was the illustration in the slide that Honda released in this announcement, which was meant to show that Honda plans to use the new solid-state battery not only in four-wheeled motorcycles, but also in a wide range of in-house manufactured mobility products, including motorcycles and aircraft.
The slide introduced the company's plans to use solid-state batteries not only in four-wheeled vehicles, but also in a wide range of in-house-made mobility products, including two-wheeled vehicles and aircraft.
The silhouette of a motorcycle that appears to be a next-generation EV model among them looks exactly like a certain motorcycle. As mentioned above, it is the futuristic motorcycle that appeared in the 2017 movie "Ghost in the Shell."
The futuristic motorcycle that appeared in Ghost in the Shell
This work is based on the internationally acclaimed manga "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow, and is a sci-fi action movie set in the near future that was made into a live-action Hollywood production.
Honda, which cooperated with the film at the time, provided the large two-wheeled vehicle "NM4". Using this as a base, the film production staff created a futuristic motorcycle ridden by Scarlett Johansson, who played the main character, Major (Kusanagi Motoko), and featured it in the film.
"Ghost in the Shell" is a live-action movie based on the manga "Ghost in the Shell".
The NM4 is a road model with a 750cc 2-cylinder engine that was developed with the themes of "near future" and "cool" and released in April 2014. Its main feature is its revolutionary and cutting-edge style. It was also a new type of bike with a lot of cutting-edge technology, such as the "DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission)" AT mechanism that does not require clutch operation.
However, it may have been a little too early for its time. Unfortunately, it is no longer in the lineup.
However, if it is a new EV motorcycle equipped with a solid-state battery, which is said to be the next generation of batteries, a futuristic bike based on the NM4 would be quite acceptable. With this kind of design, it is obvious that it incorporates innovative technology. As a result, it may be possible to make the most of the futuristic style.
Honda NM4 (Pictured is the 2016 Model)
In any case, it is unclear whether Honda's use of the silhouette of this machine in the materials was a coincidence or was intentional, but it will be interesting to see how it develops in the future.