Solid-State Batteries Already Powering Electric Cars: BlueCars, In FactSolid-State Batteries Already Powering Electric Cars: BlueCars, In Fact

In the quest for a better battery chemistry that can make electric cars more competitive with internal combustion, solid-state cells have generated quite a bit of buzz.
As the name implies, solid-state cells replace the liquid electrolyte used in current lithium-ion cells with a solid material–a design that has numerous potential advantages, proponents say.
While it’s typically discussed as an emerging technology, it turns out there’s already a car being manufactured today that uses a battery pack made of solid-state cells.
DON’T MISS: Indianapolis Electric-Car Sharing: We Drive BlueIndy’s BlueCar (May 2014)
Depending on where you live, you may be able to drive this car–but you can’t buy it unless you live in France.
That’s because the car in question is the Bolloré BlueCar, developed for the company’s car-sharing service.
BlueCars already operate in several cities in France and will begin plying the streets of Indianapolis later this year, followed by a London launch.
Bolloré BlueCar electric car used for Autolib’ car-sharing service in Paris, September 2012
But the main goal of offering short-term rentals isn’t to give more people access to electric cars.
Bolloré hopes to use car sharing as a platform to develop and promote its solid-state batteries, according to a recent New York Times profile (via Charged EVs).
While the BlueCars themselves are now built by Renault, Bolloré manufactures their lithium-metal-polymer batteries.
ALSO SEE: Bolloré BlueCar: Sharing Paris’s Most Popular Electric Car (Oct 2012)
It hopes eventually to compete with established lithium-ion cell manufacturers like Panasonic and LG Chem as a supplier to carmakers.
Bolloré claims the solid-state design is safer because it doesn’t use a flammable liquid electrolyte and that, eventually, it will surpass other designs in energy density.
The company has already invested an estimated 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion dollars) in all of its electric-car projects.
Bolloré BlueCar electric car used for Autolib’ car-sharing service in Paris, September 2012
So far, Blue Solutions–the Bolloré division in charge of electric cars and batteries–has made no money, losing €5.7 million ($6.3 million) last year on sales of €97.2 million ($108.5 million).
Bolloré is far from the only company to see a long-term advantage in solid-state cells.
Sakti3 and Quantumscape are also working on solid-state batteries for electric cars, having partnered with General Motors and Volkswagen Group, respectively.
But Bolloré’s approach of integrating batteries, cars, and a car-sharing service remains unique, at least for today.
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