Solid state lithium battery?

[WiskyDan]

This popped up on my Facebook feed - pretty interesting:

About us

WHO WE ARESolid State Marine Inc. was established in 2023 and is based in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. We are committed to pioneering the development and production of innovative, high-performance solid-state battery solutions for the maritime market. Our mission is to provide boaters with...

solidstatemarine.com

So these are a type of lithium battery that they claim are even lighter than standard lithium due to solid-state cells instead of liquid ones. They also claim that they are lighter than standard lithium batteries, have a higher energy density, charge faster, and can be used in temperatures as low as -4F.

They are a US company (looks like the batteries are designed/supported/assembled in the NE) and appear to be focused on marine applications. They also have dual purpose batteries that can be used as a start battery which is convenient if you only have room for one battery. They are pricey (90Ah is $1249 and 120Ah is $1625) but I'm interested in seeing more real-world reviews and how they hold up.

The Future Is Solid:​

Solid-state batteries replace the flammable liquid electrolyte with a solid one, unlocking major advantages:

Higher energy density: More power/lb

Dramatically improved safety: no liquid = near-zero fire risk, even when damaged

Longer life: thousands of cycles with minimal degradation.

Faster charging: higher current tolerance without overheating or plating

Wider operating temperature: –4°F to over 155 °F

Why Solid State Marine Stands Alone​

We didn’t just improve the battery — we reinvented it.

At the heart of every Solid State Marine battery is a revolutionary solid electrolyte that replaces the flammable liquid found in traditional lithium-ion (LFP) and lead-acid packs. By eliminating the liquid, we shrink the distance ions travel between anode and cathode to almost nothing.
The result?

- Dramatically higher energy density

- Ultra-fast charging

- Half the weight and size

- Extremely low risk of thermal runaway

- A lifespan that outlasts conventional batteries by years

Built for the harshest marine conditions, our solid-state technology delivers unmatched power, safety, and reliability — so you can push farther, charge faster, and navigate with total confidence.

 

[WiskyDan]

Some other links:

Solid-State Batteries for Boaters

Solid-state batteries offer a number of benefits for boaters, including lighter weight and increased capacity. Find out how to choose the right one for you.

boatingmag.com

The founder of Solid State Marine replies in this thread:

https://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/1347715-marine-solid-state-batteries.html

 

[WiskyDan]

Hmmm…..sounds like in order to get this type of battery to 100% charge you would need a charging voltage of 16.8v. Using standard 14.2v charging voltage on a 12v system would only get the battery to 65% charge. :-/

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

It’s interesting technology with some big gains in storage capacity and weight reduction but is not applicable in our boats insofar as it being a drop in battery. An aftermarket or specialized rectifier / regulator might make them work with our alternators as I think our alternators produce 26-32 volts peak voltage.

Looking at the boating article and its reference to power delivery capabilities or the lessening of internal resistance in the battery enables the battery to deliver its stored energy also makes it able to be charged at 1C which is twice as fast LFP batteries .5C. Which means the solid state battery will charge roughly 10 times as fast as lead acid batteries.

The 50% weight reduction of the solid state battery means that the ratio of battery weight for gasoline powered propulsion comes down from 40:1 with LFP batteries to 20:1 so for a previous example of a wake boat with a 70 gallon gas tank, 420 pounds of fuel, would require 16,800 pounds of batteries it’s now 8,400 pounds of batteries and that’s just the equivalent in propulsive force and doesn’t take into account the dramatically increased drag of boat that weighs 20 times the weight of the gasoline powered boat.

As far as safety goes …. We’ve seen destructive testing done on LFP batteries by Morton’s on the move, the pouch type of LFP cell found in the least expensive LFP batteries showed dramatic thermal run away when pierced, but NOT THE CYLINDRICAL type found in the more expensive batteries such as Battle Born, ReLion, Dakota Lithium, Victron, AMP etc.., As the boating article clearly states, conventional LFP marine batteries have a remarkable safety record. Raising the specter of them being unsafe, or playing the safety card is a fucking scare tactic to create fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) for marketing purposes which pisses me the fuck off and plays on the public’s ignorance of other lithium battery types which have fire issues such as Lithium NMC or Lithium Polymer but not LFP. “Conceivable, could, could, potentially” reminds me of the saying “ If Grandma had balls she’d be Grandpa”.