The UK Startup Developing Quasi-Solid State Sodium EV Batteries - TaiSan CEO, Sanzhar Taizhan

TaiSan is a UK battery startup that has developed a breakthrough quasi-solid state sodium tech battery. It's aiming to license its material design and process steps to Tier 1 battery and automotive OEMs.

"Adoption of sodium-ion chemistry is widely regarded as one of the next major BEV shifts, offering significant cost, sustainability, and safety benefits vs lithium-ion, with the global market expected to rapidly grow and be worth £1 billion by 2028 reaching a capacity of 186GWh/year in 2032," TaiSan CEO, Sanzhar Taizhan, tells Auto Futures.

A quasi-solid electrolyte features just a small amount of liquid  - usually, less than 5 per cent. It combines properties of both solid and liquid electrolytes, offering enhanced safety and performance.

"One of the main objectives of our quasi-solid-state sodium battery technology is to realise a game-changing increase in the energy density of sodium batteries for BEVs. To achieve that, TaiSan has developed its own proprietary, innovative electrolyte and anode materials."

The technology is also based on sustainable and abundant materials. No lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper metals are used.

"Our IP is designed as a ‘drop-in’ solution to existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities to scale faster with a lower barrier to the market," he explains.

"We have already signed a number of MOUs with automotive manufacturers from seven different countries and building prototype cells for these OEM partners. The timeline will be confirmed soon, but certainly before the end of the decade. We are focused on delivery to our customer’s timelines."

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TaiSan recently announced a pre-seed funding round that raised £1.3 million. It will be used to continue the development of its electrolyte and anode materials.

In a press release, Taizhan states: "Our new investment will enable us to ramp up development and we will be announcing some game-changing results in the very near future. Watch this space."

However, when it comes to fully solid-state batteries, he believes we won't see the commercial roll-out for a while.

"We already saw solid-state batteries working from BlueSolutions company back in 2011. However, the commercial ready cells without the current challenges are expected to be seen later this decade. We are in quasi-solid format, which makes us faster to get into market and solve fundamental electrochemical challenges. We are working hard to deliver them as soon as possible to accelerate the EV revolution," he says.

Finally, we asked Taizhan for his thoughts on what more needs to be done to speed up the adoption of EVs in the UK.

"From a consumer adoption point of view I would say clarity of the deadline of new petrol and diesel car sales being ended. The new Labour government has promised to reinstate the 2030 deadline and we would call on them to deliver on that. We also need to see coordinated incentives to make choosing an EV more affordable, but also as a clear market signal that this is the direction of travel," he says.

"From an industrial policy perspective, I would like to see the continuation of innovation and R&D grants to assist companies with taking the amazing ideas that originate in the UK academic and startup scene through to full production."

"It is combination of continued support for new, innovative technology business, allied to greater support and clarity for EV buyers that will see more zero emission vehicles on UK roads and speed up the transition," concludes Taizhan.