BMW: Solid-State Batteries Will Not Be Available For Another Eight Years

The German company claims that advances in current battery technology will bring more advantages to the electric car segment in the years ahead.

BMW will not focus on solid-state battery technology during that period, insisting that there is still a “long way to go” with the current lithium-ion units, which it will continue to develop.

Solid-state batteries are considered key to the longevity of electric cars, as they offer greater capacity and longer range than similarly sized batteries in use today. They are also smaller, lighter, and less susceptible to temperature variations, and can be charged more quickly.

Yet while companies like rival Mercedes-Benz claim they are close to putting solid-state batteries into production, Martin Schuster, BMW’s vice president for next-generation battery technology, estimates that the BMW Group is eight years away from introducing SSB units into its electric vehicle lineup.

He believes that everything still revolves around lithium-ion batteries, which still have something to say and undergo stable improvements while reducing costs because, in his opinion, that is the most important goal.

It Takes Time To Package Solid-State Batteries

“We can already produce solid-state batteries, but the cost of packaging makes it pointless at the moment. It’s still a long way to go before it reaches the market.”

Head of Purchasing, Joachim Post, added that the BMW Group’s new “Gen6” batteries, which can store enough energy to cover 300 kilometres in just 10 minutes, offer more than enough for what the market currently wants.

“Would a customer be willing to pay a much higher price for solid-state batteries for maybe a little faster charging?” he wondered. “Price is one of the most important considerations for electric vehicle buyers.”

That cost comes primarily from the production of packaging and especially cells, Post explained.

“The problem with solid-state batteries is making millions of battery cells at a low cost with high efficiency, best quality, and easy integration into a package,” he said. “What we’re seeing so far is that it’s not going to be a breakthrough, and that’s why we’re pretty confident that our Gen6 battery will last a long time.”

Asked if this means BMW will fall behind given that Mercedes has just announced that it has started testing its solid-state battery, which can offer a range of over 1,000 kilometres, Schuster said: “They are in a price range that is not competitive. That is a fact at the moment. When we see them competing in that sense with lithium-ion, then we will take the necessary steps.”

• Also See: BMW Refreshes Its iX Electric SUV For The 2026 Model Year