Ilika’s collaboration with Balance Batteries was a challenge to re-engineer the battery pack around the unique properties of solid-state cells. The result was a platform that is not only lighter and simpler, but also delivers quantifiable advantages in cost, safety, and efficiency.
By replacing the cells in a high-energy SUV benchmark pack with Ilika’s solid-state units, engineers reduced total vehicle weight by 100 kg. This came in three stages: first, higher energy density allowed the pack to be 32 kg lighter. Then, the cells’ ability to tolerate higher temperatures meant thermal barriers and venting systems could be eliminated, removing another 33 kg. Finally, the enhanced safety profile allowed anti-intrusion beams to be taken out entirely, cutting a further 31 kg.
Each redesign removed hardware. The downstream cost impact is significant. On a like-for-like cell cost basis, the revised pack could be $3,000 cheaper. There would be upfront tooling cost, estimated at £78,000, but this would be spread across multiple vehicles, making the economics more attractive over time.
Ilika plc (LON:IKA) is a pioneer in solid state battery technology enabling solutions for applications in Industrial IoT, MedTech, Electric Vehicles and Consumer Electronics.
