Nissan Motors is betting on solid-state batteries and will use integrated die-casting technology

According to Reuters, on April 16, Nissan Motor, Japan's third-largest automaker, said it will start mass production of solid-state batteries for electric vehicles in early 2029 and use large-scale die-casting machines to improve efficiency and reduce costs for future models.

Reuters noted that Nissan hopes to use technological advances to cope with fierce competition from rivals such as Tesla and BYD, which are both leading in the production of electric vehicles.

Nissan's all-solid-state battery pilot production line (under construction); Image source: Nissan Motor

Nissan will first test prototypes and develop solid-state batteries at a pilot plant in Yokohama, before slowly increasing production capacity. However, for now, the plant has not been completed. It is reported that solid-state batteries are expected to charge faster and last longer than traditional batteries.

Nissan expects to start producing the first batch of solid-state batteries at its Yokohama plant from March 2025, and will deploy 100 workers per production shift from April 2028 to increase production to 100MWh per month.

In addition, Nissan also stated that starting from fiscal 2027, it will use integrated die-casting technology to produce electric vehicles, which can reduce manufacturing costs by 10% and reduce the weight of components by 20%.

Hideyuki Sakamoto, executive vice president of manufacturing and supply chain management at Nissan, said that Nissan has been using casting technology to manufacture front air conditioning structural parts at its Tochigi plant for more than 15 years. Sakamoto said that Nissan considered various ways to produce the car body, "Finally, we decided to use a 6,000-ton integrated die-casting machine to make the rear body structure of the car with aluminum castings."

Nissan plans to launch 30 new models in the next three years, 16 of which will be electrified, including eight pure electric vehicles and four plug-in hybrids. The company is currently seeking to reduce the cost of next-generation electric vehicles by 30%, hoping to make electric vehicles comparable in price to internal combustion engine models by 2030.