Today’s lithium ion batteries use electrolytes that are either liquid or pastelike. That makes the batteries less efficient than they otherwise could be because lithium ions do not travel as freely as they do in a solid material. Automakers and battery companies are spending billions to change one part of the battery, the separator, from a liquid to a solid.
The goal is to create a lighter, safer, cooler and more energy-dense battery.
An EV battery pack contains thousands of cells, which look like normal flashlight batteries, connected together.