Solid versus Liquid—A Bottom‐Up Calculation Model to Analyze the Manufacturing Cost of Future High‐Energy Batteries

All‐solid‐state batteries (ASSB) are promising candidates for future energy storage. However, only a little is known about the manufacturing costs for industrial production. Herein, a detailed bottom‐up calculation is performed to estimate the required investment and to facilitate comparison with conventional lithium‐ion batteries (LIB). Results indicate that sulfide‐based ASSBs can indeed be competitive if the material compatibility issues can be solved and production is successfully scaled. In contrast, oxide‐based ASSBs will probably not be able to compete if cost is the decisive factor. A sensitivity analysis with Monte Carlo simulation reveals that the inert gas atmosphere required for sulfide‐based ASSBs contributes little to the overall cell costs, whereas the sintering step for oxide‐based ASSBs is highly critical. The calculation also indicates that in‐house manufacturing of the lithium anode will be cheaper than purchasing the lithium foil externally if the cell producer has sufficient processing know‐how. Finally, the aerosol deposition method is investigated, revealing that a deposition rate far above 1000 mm3 min−1 would be required to make the technology economically feasible in ASSB production. The results of this study will help researchers and industry prioritize development efforts and push the scale‐up of future high‐energy batteries with improved performance. The manufacturing cost of all‐solid‐state batteries is systematically compared with conventional lithium‐ion battery production. The bottom‐up calculation enables an investigation of different anode and solid electrolyte materials, as well as the corresponding production technologies from an economic perspective. Hence, critical process steps are identified to facilitate decision making during scale‐up toward industrial production.