One Step Closer to A-Sample EV Cells
One Step Closer to A-Sample EV Cells
Solid Power was very busy in 2021. From announcing expanded joint development agreements with BMW and Ford to unveiling plans for a second facility, we now find ourselves with a full plate of action items for 2022.
Our next big step is the initial production of our EV-scale sized cells, which we expect later this year. However, to reach that goal and take our cell production to the next level requires some heavy lifting (both literally and figuratively).
Our current pilot production line has served us well. This line has been our workhorse and has enabled us to rapidly increase the scale and layer count of our prototype all-solid-state cells. Single-layer 0.2 Ah cells quickly have been replaced by 10-layer 2 Ah cells. The flexibility of the line has also allowed us to expand the footprint and layer count further, resulting in our current 22-layer 20 Ah cells.
And that’s where we hit the limit of our existing pilot line. Now, our focus is on a new pilot production line – dubbed the EV Line – that we expect will be capable of producing cells up to 100 Ah in capacity. More capacity requires a larger cell format and increased layer count, and that added complexity requires expansion of production infrastructure and some shiny new equipment!
Building the EV Line
Building a new, fully-functional cell manufacturing line takes careful planning and coordination – particularly in today’s environment where supply chains are still disrupted due to the ongoing pandemic. Fortunately, careful planning and forethought by Solid Power production and logistics teams have enabled us to stay on schedule.
Expecting supply chain delays, Solid Power placed essential equipment orders early. Taking nothing for granted, the technical team then visited equipment vendors around the globe, working with vendors in their facilities to ensure our new equipment met critical specs and would arrive in Colorado on time. We are excited to announce that nearly all of our new equipment has landed and will soon be operational.
Meanwhile, our facilities team has been hard at work reorganizing our headquarters to accommodate a second production line and entirely new dry room. This required us to move our machine shop across town to our second facility that is still under construction, and a variety of Jenga puzzle moves to fit our existing shipping, receiving, quality control, and testing areas.
Last month, our entire company excitedly headed outside into the Colorado sun to watch contractors (and a crane!) hoist and then lower a multi-ton dehumidifier through a hole in our roof and on top of our brand-new state-of-the-art dry room. There are a lot of skiers at Solid Power, but everyone was appreciative that there was no snowstorm that day.
Now, with nearly all the key pieces in place, Solid Power is working hard to dial in and validate each piece of equipment. We still have a ways to go before the EV Line starts to produce A-Sample cells, but we’re happy to report that our plans and expectations are quickly becoming reality.