Taiwan-based solid-state battery manufacturer ProLogium opened a giga-scale lithium ceramic battery factory called Taoke in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

The factory has a planned capacity of 2 GW and aims to supply batteries for up to 26,000 electric vehicles (EVs).

Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte to conduct lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes, reducing the risk of catching fire or exploding as they do not contain a flammable liquid electrolyte. The batteries can also store more energy in a smaller space, resulting in a longer driving range and lighter weight for EVs.

ProLogium claims that the Taoke factory’s output efficiency is 2.6 times greater than its original facility due to doubled assembly speed, which has reduced manufacturing costs.

The company has announced plans to build another giga-scale factory in Dunkirk, France. The facility will be built in multiple phases with a total investment of €5.2 billion (~$5.66 billion) and a planned capacity of 48 GWh.

The company also unveiled a 106-ampere hour solid-state battery for EVs manufactured with a high-silicon anode. It said that future advancements in materials are anticipated to enhance driving range further, maximize resource utilization, and reduce costs.

The solid-state gigafactory comes at a time when prices of lithium-ion battery packs dropped to a record low of $139/kWh in December 2023 due to falling raw material and component prices.

Last year, however, researchers at the University of Oxford conducted a study revealing a critical hurdle solid-state batteries face: short circuits during the charging process caused by the formation of dendrites.

The study found that these filament-like structures composed of lithium metal penetrate the ceramic electrolyte, leading to performance degradation and safety concerns. The cracks form due to lithium accumulation in sub-surface pores, and further charging increases the pressure until the cracks propagate.