Several electric cars in 2019 have raised the performance epitome of electric vehicles. Incidentally, all of them use lithium-ion batteries for power. Another sect of the battery industry focuses on a different battery technology though, one that relies on solid-state batteries. Bentley, now seems to lean on that side for its future vehicles.
A simple reason for this is the fact that solid-state batteries have a higher energy density than lithium-ion ones. That would mean an equal amount of energy can be generated by a lighter solid-state battery than a lithium-ion battery. Once we consider this aspect, it is easy to see that the whole design of an electric vehicle will be majorly impacted by the battery its uses.
Adrian Hallmark, Bentley CEO, explained this in a recent interview:
¡°They are about 30% lighter for the same power as lithium-ion. An I-pace has 720 kg (1,587 pounds) of batteries, so going to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) instead of 720kg makes a difference. Also, think about how that changes the packaging.¡±
A notable advantage would be the height of vehicles that result from the new battery technology. Hallmark believes that the current ¡°electric cars are slightly higher because of where the batteries are [placed]¡± at present. ¡°However, with new battery technologies, it will be possible to make cars that are lower as well as cars that are taller because the increased power density will overcome the aero resistance,¡± he explains.
Bentley apparently has no interest in converting its existing vehicles to electric ones, as that might lead to a compromise on range and efficiency. Instead, the luxury car firm will be using its Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture for a brand new vehicle that will run on batteries.
Whether its uses solid-state batteries on it or not is unsure as of now, as Hallmark avoids a confirmation, ¡°I'm not saying that we are guaranteed to go solid state¡±. The more important part is that the company is working towards the battery technology. As and when electric iterations of Bentleys start appearing in the international markets by mid 2020¡¯s, it is a solid possibility to see solid-state batteries powering them.