Stellantis, Factorial begin first solid-state EV road
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- Stellantis and Factorial Energy integrated Factorial's FEST solid-state cells into a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle on the STLA Large platform, marking the first time solid-state batteries have been road-tested in a North American EV
- Factorial's 77Ah FEST cells achieved an energy density of 375 Wh/kg with over 600 cycles (validated in April), charge from 15% to 90% in 18 minutes, and maintain performance across temperatures from -30°C to 45°C
- Factorial CEO Siyu Huang said the milestone "sets a new bar for what automotive-grade solid-state batteries can deliver," calling the cell-to-pack collaboration the "deep, full-stack" work solid-state has always required
- Mercedes-Benz drove a modified EQS over 745 miles (1,200 km) on Factorial's cells last September, with tech chief Markus Schäfer calling the technology a potential "gamechanger" for EVs
- Factorial began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker "FAC" this week after a roughly $1.3 billion SPAC merger with Cartesian Growth Corp III, netting approximately $110 million to fund commercialization
- Factorial is also partnering with Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Kia, and plans to expand FEST beyond vehicles into robotics, aerospace, and defense applications
Why it matters: Road-testing is the critical bridge between lab promise and mass production for solid-state batteries, a technology automakers have chased for years to break the range-charging-cost trade-off. With Factorial now publicly traded and partnerships spanning Stellantis, Mercedes, Hyundai, and Kia, the milestone pressures rivals to demonstrate equivalent real-world data or risk losing automaker mindshare.
