Nissan to Collaborate With LiCAP on Research & Development (R&D) of Solid-State Battery Technology

According to foreign media reports, Nissan Motor has recently reached a cooperation agreement with American battery technology company LiCAP Technologies, aiming to jointly advance the research and development of next-generation dry electrode manufacturing technology for electric vehicles.

The two parties will jointly devote themselves to developing dry electrode manufacturing technology for all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cathodes, which is one of the core components driving the advancement of electric vehicles.

Image source: Nissan

This collaboration comes as Nissan plans to launch an electric vehicle equipped with its independently developed all-solid-state battery by fiscal year 2028. The company aims to achieve this goal by strengthening its research and development activities. Nissan stated that the collaboration with LiCAP will accelerate the development of dry electrode production process technology, marking an important step for Nissan towards realizing the next generation of electric vehicles equipped with high-performance, cost-effective all-solid-state batteries.

Solid-state batteries are often referred to as the "holy grail" of electric vehicle batteries. Compared with the mainstream lithium-ion batteries currently on the market, they are expected to reduce costs, extend the driving range of electric vehicles, speed up charging times, and improve safety. In January of this year, Nissan has already launched the operation of a pilot production line for solid-state batteries.

LiCAP’s active dry electrode technology has the potential to improve the production efficiency and performance of all-solid-state batteries. Compared to traditional wet electrodes, the advantages of dry electrodes lie in the elimination of drying and solvent recovery steps, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and lessening environmental impact. However, despite achieving numerous results in the laboratory, this technology still faces challenges in mass production efficiency for large-scale application.

LiCAP Technologies focuses on advanced electrode manufacturing technology. To further strengthen industry collaboration, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Korean battery manufacturer SK On in April. This potential collaboration aims to explore the establishment of a strategic alliance to improve the manufacturing process of lithium-ion battery electrodes, with the goal of utilizing LiCAP's activated dry electrode technology to enhance the performance and cost-effectiveness of SK On's next-generation electric vehicle batteries.