Panasonic Energy develops solid-state battery that can operate at 150 degrees Celsius

CHIBA, Japan, Sept 9 : Panasonic Energy has developed a solid-state battery that can run at temperatures of up to 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit) and will begin sample shipments in October to December, its chief technology officer said on Wednesday.

• Panasonic Holdings’ battery unit has raised the maximum operating temperature of its solid-state batteries to 150 C from 125 C and developed a new small-size prismatic cell design, CTO Shoichiro Watanabe said.

• The prismatic design makes product layout easier than with coin-shaped cells, Watanabe told reporters after giving a speech at an industry conference.

• The higher temperature tolerance could broaden potential applications to areas such as the sterilisation of medical equipment, he said.

• Panasonic Energy is initially targeting industrial machinery and vehicle sensors rather than EV applications.

• It aims to begin mass production one to two years after sample shipments.

• The company also plans to accelerate development of cylindrical batteries for humanoid robots, Watanabe said.

• He said cylindrical batteries are well suited to humanoid robots because they fit into limited spaces and rounded structures.