Toyota's Solid-State Battery Hits 745 Miles on Single Charge in Lab Test

TOKYO — Toyota has achieved a significant milestone in its solid-state battery development, with a prototype cell delivering 745 miles of range in laboratory testing — more than double the range of current lithium-ion batteries, the automaker announced Wednesday.

The test, conducted at Toyota's research facility in Susono, Japan, used a battery cell roughly the size of a shoe box. Engineers cycled the cell continuously for 72 hours, maintaining 85% of its original capacity after 1,000 charge cycles.

"Our solid-state technology has passed every laboratory benchmark we've set," said Keiji Kaita, president of Toyota's battery research division, in a briefing. "The question is no longer 'if' but 'when' we can manufacture these at scale."

Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte found in conventional lithium-ion cells with a solid ceramic material. This design allows for higher energy density, faster charging, and reduced fire risk. Toyota claims its prototype can charge from 10% to 80% in just 12 minutes.

However, Toyota has revised its production timeline. The company now expects to begin limited production of solid-state batteries in 2028 — two years later than previously promised — with full-scale production targeted for 2030.

Cost remains the primary obstacle. Current solid-state cells cost approximately $200 per kilowatt-hour to produce, compared to $115 per kWh for conventional lithium-ion batteries. Toyota aims to achieve cost parity by 2032.

"This is a classic lab-to-fab problem," said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst at Guidehouse Insights. "Making one battery work is hard. Making a million identical batteries work is exponentially harder."

Competitors are racing to catch up. Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape recently delivered its own solid-state samples to automakers, while China's CATL claims it will begin mass production by 2027.

Toyota shares rose 4.2% in Tokyo trading following the announcement. The company plans to showcase the technology at the Japan Mobility Show in October.