One of the great bets of the Basque institutions within the Next Euskadi program, linked to European funds and framed within the strategy for the energy transition, has shown its cards. The Basquevolt solid-state battery development center, in which the Basque Government participates, plans to reach the automotive market in 2027, with 30% cheaper batteries and 50% more autonomy, up to 750 kilometers without burden. In this way, in the year 2028 vehicles with Basquevolt batteries could already circulate.
These forecasts have been released after Basquevolt has assembled its first solid-state battery prototype in the Miñano Technology Park, on the outskirts of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Now, this first prototype will have to pass various tests at extreme temperatures and adjust its weight and volume to then take an essential leap: start designing batteries at 20 Amps per hour (Ah, the charging unit that indicates the electricity capacity that is able to store). Those first prototypes will be ready by the end of the year.
The next step will be to open the door to the manufacture of 80 Ah batteries, more powerful prototypes that are currently used in current electric vehicles. The mass production of these batteries would arrive in 2027, so that their batteries would be integrated into electric cars a year later.
The differential section of this project, in any case, has to do with the characteristics of these batteries, which would allow them to be very competitive, according to their promoters. The particularity of Basquevolt batteries is, basically, that the production process of the cells would mean the use of 30% less energy, reducing manufacturing costs by 30%.
From Basquevolt they talk about “democratizing” the electric car and its CEO, Francisco Carranza, points out that the prices of these vehicles could be similar to those of combustion cars.
“These batteries will be able to reach the automotive market in 2027 with a revolutionary technology that can increase the autonomy of electric vehicles by 50% and, at the same time, will significantly reduce the cost of producing cars. We are convinced that it is a technology that will make it possible to democratize, from the Basque Country, electric transport in segments where price is a critical parameter”, he points out.
The Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, pointed out at the presentation of the first prototype that “it is not easy for a pioneering and innovative project in such an open and competitive sector to present positive results after just one year of experience”. “Basquevolt has achieved it and it is a book project. It is a transformative initiative that has an impact on all global challenges, digital, energy, climate and social”, he added.
The project, which currently has 40 workers of 15 nationalities, does not yet have the support of European funds, although it does have the collaboration of Iberdrola, CIE Automotive or Enagas.
