Panasonic’s technology head has dismissed the prospect of solid-state batteries for electric cars winning market share from increasingly efficient lithium-ion batteries.
Tatsuo Ogawa, group chief technology officer of Panasonic Holdings, said solid-state batteries would only ever be a “niche” product, with applications better suited to drones and power drills than cars.
His remarks come after the founder and chief executive of China’s CATL, the world’s biggest battery producer, said solid-state battery commercialisation was years away and cast doubt on Toyota’s belief that a breakthrough in the technology would transform the automotive sector.