Scientists Achieve Unprecedented Speeds in Solid-State Battery Research
Solid-state batteries are widely regarded as one of the key technological cornerstones of the future — capable of storing significantly more energy, offering far greater safety, and crucially, eliminating the flammable components found in today's lithium-ion batteries. Now, a major breakthrough has emerged from Germany: researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a new material composed of lithium, antimony, and scandium, which conducts lithium ions over 30% faster than any substance previously known to science.
The research team made a bold move: they partially replaced lithium with scandium in lithium antimonide. This subtle but brilliant tweak created so-called vacancies in the material's crystal lattice — tiny voids that allow lithium ions to travel more freely and swiftly through the structure. The result? A new world record in ionic conductivity, pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible in the field.
In other words: fewer components, better performance, and broader potential across a range of chemical systems. The discovery has already been patented, and further development is underway to explore its full capabilities.
A Material That’s Not Just Fast — But Resilient
Beyond its record-breaking speed, the new compound also offers remarkable thermal stability and can be synthesized using well-established, scalable chemical techniques. This makes it especially attractive for electrode manufacturing, where materials must efficiently conduct both ions and electrons — a notoriously tricky combination.
Automotive Giants Are Already on Board
Meanwhile, the automotive industry is keeping pace. Stellantis — the multinational conglomerate behind Jeep, Dodge, and Ram — is working with startup Factorial to bring solid-state battery technology to the road. Together, they’ve developed a 375 Wh/kg energy density battery, which has already undergone successful testing and is slated for demonstration fleet deployment in 2026.
