Solid-state batteries reach a mass-market EV for the first time

The first mass-market electric vehicle equipped with a solid-state battery will go on sale in Japan this autumn, its manufacturer said on Wednesday, moving a technology long confined to prototypes into a mid-priced sedan.

The pack is rated for 750 kilometers on Japan's test cycle and a 10-to-80 percent charge in 15 minutes, with a 10-year degradation warranty. Production begins at 60,000 packs a year, scaling to 300,000 by 2029.

Rivals have announced similar timelines but none has committed a volume model. Analysts said the launch price — roughly equivalent to $42,000 — signals that solid-state cost curves are falling faster than published roadmaps suggested.