Beyond Lithium-Ion: How Solid-State, Lithium-Sulfur, Sodium-Ion & Graphene Batteries Will Revolutionize EVs, Gadgets and Grid Storage
Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte and lithium-metal anodes, offering 50–100% higher energy density than today’s Li‑ion and 1,000+ cycles with about 95% capacity retention, with Toyota targeting 750 miles per charge and 10-minute charging by 2027–2028. Lithium-sulfur batteries have a theoretical energy density above 500 Wh/kg, and a recent all-solid-state Li‑S cell demonstrated around 25,000 cycles with 80% capacity retention, though energy density still needs improvement. Sodium-ion batteries today run around 160–175 Wh/kg, CATL claims 175 Wh/kg with over 10,000 cycles and operation from −40°C to +70°C, and Chery launched the first Na‑ion EV in 2023 with mass production