Toyota holds over 1,000 patents on solid-state battery technology — more than any other company — and received METI certification for its production roadmap in September 2024. In January 2026, partner Idemitsu Kosan broke ground on a large-scale solid electrolyte pilot plant, with Toyota planning a 10 GWh factory in Japan targeting initial Lexus models. Sumitomo Metal Mining signed a mass production agreement for cathode materials specifically for solid-state batteries. The target is 1,000km driving range with 10-minute charging.
Solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion cells with a solid material, eliminating fire risk, enabling higher energy density (potentially 2-3x current cells), and allowing faster charging. If Toyota achieves its targets, solid-state batteries would represent the most significant battery technology breakthrough since lithium-ion commercialization in 1991 — also a Japanese innovation (Sony).
The global stakes are enormous: the EV battery market is projected to exceed $400 billion by 2030. China currently dominates lithium-ion battery manufacturing (CATL, BYD), but solid-state technology could reset the competitive landscape. Toyota's strategy of patient, deep R&D followed by rapid scale-up mirrors the approach that made the Prius hybrid system dominant — and solid-state batteries are the single technology most likely to restore Japan's automotive technology leadership.