Taiwanese start-up ProLogium Technology believes its lithium-ceramic battery (LCB) could reset the bar for electric vehicle (EV) performance and safety. It claims to have developed the world’s first fully inorganic electrolyte solid-state battery (SSB) and plans to begin pilot production for automakers by the end of 2025.
Organic electrolytes have traditionally suffered with poor thermal stability and are easily affected by water. On the other hand, inorganic electrolytes are not sensitive to high temperature, high pressure, or moisture. The company has gone with the latter approach, pursuing a lithium-ceramic chemistry for both consumer applications and EVs since its founding in 2006. At CES 2025, it unveiled its fourth generation LCB, offering impressive metrics in terms of safety, energy density, charging speed, recyclability, and low-temperature reliability.
“This is totally different from what the market has seen so far,” declares Founder and Chief Executive Vincent Yang. “We are trying to redefine the next-generation EV battery.”
Easing the transition
The idea is that this battery technology will allow EVs to offer a similar consumer experience to internal combustion engines (ICE) in terms of range, safety, and charging. “ICE cars don’t give people range anxiety,” Yang tells Automotive World. “You can easily predict how far you can get on the fuel in your tank. We want to do the same with EVs. With this technology, fast-charging offers almost the same refuelling time, meaning the consumer can have the same kind of experience.”
The company claims its LCB can cut charging time to just four minutes for 60% capacity and six minutes for 80% capacity. “In five minutes of charging, we can give you more than 500km of range,” says Yang. That’s good news not just for consumers but also charge point operators, as faster charging opens the door for greater asset utilisation. As many industry watchers have pointed out over the years, the EV market’s long-term viability partially depends on whether there’s a profitable business case for charging point operators.
The fast charging is made possible thanks to improvements in energy density, which top lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries by up to 150%. The latest generation LCB achieves 380Wh/kg and 860-900Wh/L. By 2026, the company aims to surpass 450Wh/kg and 1,000Wh/L.
Perhaps most important of all, the fully inorganic electrolyte is inherently non-flammable. “Safety is our biggest advantage, and it’s much better than the existing traditional lithium batteries,” he states. In overcharge tests that evaluated the battery at 300 degrees Celsius and 250% capacity, it consistently remained fireproof and non-combustible, achieving a Hazard Level of 2-3. An advanced Active Safety Mechanism further prevents thermal runaway by activating automatically at high temperatures.
Another key advantage is that the battery performs well in extreme temperatures, providing consistent range performance. ProLogium figures suggest it has two to three times the ionic conductivity of traditional liquid batteries at room temperature. “With today’s EVs, once the temperature drops to negative ten or 15 degrees, nobody knows what the battery will do,” notes Yang. “In some cases it can drop to just 40% capacity. But with our batteries, there is less then 10% difference in performance.”
Cost and manufacturing
Generally speaking, SSBs carry a price premium over lithium-ion, though costs are steadily falling and should continue to do so as volumes scale. Nissan has stated that it believes SSB costs can drop to US$75/kWh by fiscal year 2028, further declining to US$65/kWh after that, which would put EVs on the same cost footing as gasoline vehicles. While ProLogium hasn’t publicly shared what its battery will cost, Yang implies other SSB players are still too expensive for market acceptance: “With new technologies, you cannot make the cost very high.” The LCB features a 100% silicon composite anode, and Yang points out that this material “has a much better unit energy price than graphite.”
The design also lends itself to easier manufacturing, with fewer steps involved thanks to a simplified structure and lower safety risks. The dry room, for instance, can be just 25-30% the size of what’s usually required for EV batteries. That means less capex. “The manufacturing becomes simple and we spend less, so the cost will be competitive,” he says. “A good cost structure is just as important as technical performance.”
ProLogium currently has one plant up and running in Taiwan, with yearly capacity for 2GWh. A second plant is under construction in Dunkirk, France, and is slated to begin mass production in 2027. However, output from the Taiwanese plant is currently going into small consumer products such as wearables but not EVs. “We are still in the early stages of development,” emphasises Yang. “We expect the majority of our batteries to go into EVs [eventually].”
The company has shipped more than 12,000 SSB sample cells to global car manufacturers for testing and module development. Once demand picks up, ProLogium will be ready with the capacity. “Manufacturing takes time to ramp up,” he adds.
Spotlight on Europe’s passenger cars
As for future vehicle applications, passenger cars will likely be the first for this potentially game-changing battery. “This is where range anxiety, cost, and safety issues are the most pressing,” says Yang. Trucks may also be a good fit, as the fast-charging aspect would make a huge difference in uptime and operational efficiency. The LCB may also find a solid market in electric school buses, where its safety benefits could be particularly appealing. The same could be said for off-road applications like mining, where there may be exposure to explosive materials.
Regionally, the company is primarily targeting European carmakers as well as American. While the Chinese may have taken the lead in the EV race, ProLogium is not going after this segment. “We don’t want to go to mainland China. It’s very clear and simple: they have their own way of doing it, their own solutions,” says Yang. He also notes that plug-in hybrid sales are accelerating in China, and the market may be temporarily diverted away from EVs.
Europe has seen a similar trend but remains a more attractive—or perhaps just more accessible—market for the start-up. “Regulations are pushing Europe to EVs, and we can help them,” Yang states. To this end, ProLogium has been working with German engineering services provider FEV on development and validation. Thomas Hülshorst, FEV’s Global Vice President for Electric Powertrain, recently suggested that this technology could “make a significant contribution to preserving the value of future EVs.”
