Toyota said it is on target to introduce solid-state batteries to its vehicles by “2027-2028” with a shelf-life of up to 40 years – four times the current lifespan for most electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
Solid-state battery (SSB) technology has been touted as a ‘silver bullet’ for EVs by several manufacturers including Toyota, Honda and Mercedes-Benz.
It promises a range of more than 1000km on a single charge from a battery pack that’s smaller, lighter and cheaper to manufacture than existing batteries.
For context, the longest electric range figure claimed by an automaker in Australia is 750km, for the 2026 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive. That’s on the more realistic WLTP cycle.
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A nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery is used in this Model 3, as well as in the flagship Performance variant.
Yet Toyota says its new solid-state tech will go further with a lifespan beyond the rest of the vehicle, unlocking potential for battery swaps between cars and making higher initial costs worth it in the long run.
Speaking to Australian outlets including CarExpert at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) in Tokyo, Keiji Kaita – president of Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Advanced Engineering Development Centre – said SSBs won’t be cheap to begin with.
“This is one of the points we have now clarifying with our supplier,” Kaita-san said.
“[We have] Assumed cost versus quantity cost … and we also assume the demand versus price cost – and then we have the process of that, then how we should … reduce the cost.”
“That is a very important point to expand the solid-state battery technology.”
This suggests the tech will be first offered in Lexus or Century models, taking longer to filter down to mainstream vehicles such as the next-generation Toyota Corolla previewed by a striking concept car in Tokyo.
Yet Kaita-san said Toyota’s SSBs will be capable of lasting longer than the car, with a staggering claimed lifespan four times greater than current battery packs, delivering owners better value.
“So initially, indeed, the price is much higher – but gradually that will get close to others – but we’d like to use the long-life, super long-life [lifespan] features,” he said.
“Even if the vehicle is maybe scrapped – we can remove the battery to a new vehicle, two times, maybe three times [over its lifespan].
“Compared to the existing lithium battery we are making now, by the typical usage, our target is maybe 10 years, 90 per cent capacity,” the engineer said.
“This [SSB] is maybe 40 years, 90 per cent capacity – this is the potential we are targeting.”
This also means the carbon footprint from production is only 25 per cent, according to the engineer, given four existing batteries would have to be manufactured for every SSB.
In October 2025, Toyota signed a collaboration with Sumitomo Metal Mining for the mass production of cathode materials for SSBs, which are called ‘solid state’ as they have a solid (as opposed to fluid) electrolyte.
While not confirming vehicles SSBs will be offered in, Toyota said it’s on track to deliver them to showroom models in “2027-2028”.
The bZ4X SUV is the only Toyota EV currently in Australian showrooms, with the bZ4X Touring, closely related to the Subaru Trailseeker, confirmed for a local launch in 2026.
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