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BMW Group has fitted a BMW i7 with a solid-state battery as it ramps up testing of the next-generation technology.

Working with partner Solid Power, the pack – known as ASSB, for all-solid-state battery – uses cells that yield a higher density but which are smaller and lighter than those in the lithium ion batteries used by BMW today. In simple terms, this means more energy can be stored in smaller pack sizes.

This prototype pack also uses the current Gen5 architectures’ construction principles – prismatic cells in modules, rather than the more advanced Gen6 Neue Klasse bolted-to-pack cylindrical cells - that have been adapted in order to house Solid Power’s ASSB cells. 

This suggests the group's current platforms could be modified to take the next-generation technologies in a push to bring solid state batteries to market quicker than had previously been expected. 

Speaking in February, Martin Schuster, BMW Group’s vice-president of next-generation battery tech, told Autocar that the group was eight years away from needing a solid-state battery option in its EV line-up. Schuster said that whlie solid-state battery tech could be used now, the group's main focus was to continue the development of lithium ion batteries. He added there was still “a long way to go” with current battery technology.

However, the new test vehicle shows the group's "technology-open mindset", according to Schuster, who added: "We are continuously advancing the development of new battery cell technologies."

The car will now be tested over the coming months to gather information on temperature and operating pressure, said BMW.

Solid-state batteries are widely thought to be the holy grail of EVs and crucial to their longevity: they offer greater capacity and more range than similar-sized batteries in use today. Their simplified make-up is lighter and less susceptible to temperature variations, and they can be charged more quickly.

Today’s announcement follows that of rival Mercedes-Benz, which earlier this year claimed it was close to putting the technology into production.

The new Fiat Grande Panda 4x4 concept previews a revival of the cult classic go-anywhere supermini and the latest expansion of the Italian firm’s fast-growing line-up.

The original Panda 4x4 was launched in 1983 and quickly became a cult classic, thanks to the raised ride height and rugged styling elements that made it an affordable off-roader.

The revived concept is based on the new Grande Panda, which is offered with both 111bhp electric and 108bhp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol powertrains and sits on Stellantis’s cost-conscious new Smart Car platform.

While Fiat hasn’t officially confirmed production intent, it refers to the Grande Panda 4x4 as “the next chapter” in its legacy and a “potential true symbol of versatility, reliability and freedom”.

Fiat Europe boss Gaetano Thorel wouldn't outright confirm the machine would reach production, but said: "Surely we will have this car on the road in the future – but not tomorrow." He added that there had been demand for a 4x4 version since the Grande Panda was first revealed, and the firm had a desire to meet that demand. 

While full details about the concept's powertrain haven’t been revealed, Fiat does refer to it as offering an “electrified innovative rear axle”.

Thorel said that Fiat engineers were still working on the potential four-wheel-drive powertrain and refused to give details on whether any production 4x4 would be electric or combustion-based. However, it would use the Smart Car platform and Fiat insiders hinted would have an electric motor powering the rear axle, although details of that unit's size have yet to be confirmed. It could be a smaller e-axle that adds supplementary power only when required.

A similar mild-hybrid arrangement is employed by the rival Dacia Duster 4x4. 

The Grande Panda 4x4 concept features several bespoke design cues, including a dark red paint that echoes a special edition of the original Panda 4x4.

There are also steel wheels; special graphics on the doors that emphasise the stamped Panda lettering and evoke traditional off-roader body cladding; a protective underbody skidplate; and a roof rack.

Fiat has hinted that any production version would “most likely feature other accessories”.

The Grande Panda is intended by Fiat as a global car, and will eventuallty be manufactured in factories on three different continents. To meet those global requirements it can adopt a wide range of powertrains, including a manual pure ICE, a hybrid, full electric and even LPG. While the manual ICE is launching in Europe later this year it is not likely to be offered in the UK initially due to the extra costs of right-hand drive conversion.

A parliamentary report has criticised the absence of electric car charge points that fully satisfy new standards for disabled driver access, concluding that “the interests of disabled drivers have been left behind in the rollout”.

The Public Accounts Committee’s paper into the UK’s EV charge point network also claimed that of the 15,000 rapid and ultra-rapid charge points in the UK, none is fully compliant with BSI PAS 1899, a standard created partly by the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve the charge point experience for disabled drivers by making chargers safer and more accessible.

Explaining the challenges facing disabled users, the committee wrote: “By 2035, 1.35 million drivers with disabilities are expected to be partially or wholly dependent on public charge points, but many charge points, or their surrounding environment, have features which make them inaccessible.”

It noted that these challenges include charge points being placed near obstructions, such as kerbs, which make it harder for wheelchair users to use, or the weight of the cable/force needed to attach the connector being too great.

The report went on to conclude: “Failure to address problems with the uptake of the standard will mean that the public charge point network will continue to develop without meeting the needs of drivers with disabilities.”

In response to the findings, Nigel Fletcher, CEO of the Motability Foundation, a charity that has been advocating for PAS 1899 to be recognised as the legal standard for charge points, argued that while ultimately it is a decision for the government, “providers of public charging should also be taking responsibility for ensuring their infrastructure is accessible”.

While the Motability Foundation agreed with the committee’s report, it said it cannot verify the claim that there are no charge points that comply with the standard, given there are no requirements for operators to collect and share data on accessibility. It did, however, agree the number was low.

For example, in March Instavolt opened a new ultra-rapid charging site in Hampshire. Each of the facility’s 44 charging bays are larger than standard charging bays, to improve access and safety for disabled users.

The Winchester Superhub has up to 1.8 metres of additional access and wheelchair manoeuvring space around each bay. In addition, payment terminals and screens are at a more convenient height for wheelchair users, while swing arms extending from the chargers support the weight of charging cables.

Elsewhere, and in advance of the standard’s publication in 2022, charging company Osprey launched what it claimed was the UK’s first accessibly designed rapid-charging hub. It followed this with improvements to its existing compact and hub sites that included creating larger bays, removing kerbs and installing more accessible hardware.

The opening of another accessible charging site, especially given the size of Instavolt’s 44-acre Superhub in Winchester, is good news for EV owners and future buyers, but it bears out another concern expressed by the Public Accounts Committee: the geographic disparity of charging facilities. The report said London and the south-east alone host 43% of all UK charge points.

Meanwhile, it said, major roads in England’s southwest and in the north lack sufficient rapid-charger points, while it continues to be less commercially viable for charge point operators to serve rural areas.

“This raises concerns around regional divides and inequalities for different groups of drivers. Without action, it risks being baked into the rollout of charge points,” said the report.

The dominance of London and the south-east is also reflected in the distribution of the UK’s 15,000 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. According to Zap-Map, by the end of February the region was home to around 3500, compared with major regions including the north-west and the West Midlands with around 1500 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers each. The north-east had barely more than 500.

Another concern raised by the report is that, as of January, approximately one-third of the UK’s 117 motorway service stations had yet to meet the DfT’s target of having six or more ultra-rapid chargers. “Charge points need to be installed in advance of need,” noted the report.

It suggested the shortfall might be explained by the fact that not one penny of the DfT’s Rapid Charging Fund (RCF), which was created five years ago to help finance grid connections on the strategic road network and is worth £950 million, has yet been spent.

ChargeUK, the organisation representing charging companies, welcomed the report but claimed that charger rollout was actually running ahead of demand. CEO Vicky Read said members wanted to increase the pace of installations but faced “delivery barriers”.

The DfT insisted it was rolling out the UK’s charge point network at “lightning pace”, with “a new one added to the network every 29 minutes”.

Regarding the unspent RCF, the DfT spokesperson said: “The market has changed significantly since the fund was announced in 2020. We launched a pilot project to better understand where we should target support and will apply learnings from it to continue boosting charging infrastructure on the strategic road network.”

Melanie Shufflebotham, founder and CEO of ZapMap, which plots charge points across the UK, said that, overall, the number had grown in proportion to the number of new EVs on the roads. But she warned that “local and regional areas are the challenge”, adding: “For example, Wales and Northern Ireland are lagging behind.”