Solid-State Batteries May Debut in Humanoid Robots Before Electric Vehicles

Solid-state batteries have long been called "dream batteries," but their first commercial debut is increasingly likely to occur in humanoid robots rather than electric vehicles. Samsung SDI is accelerating development of solid-state batteries with a target of mass production in the second half of 2027.

The company has formally designated robotics as a main application direction. Humanoid robots currently operate for only two to four hours per charge, a limitation that makes battery performance a critical bottleneck. Tesla's Optimus Gen2 walks dynamically for about two hours on a 2.3 kWh battery.

Hyundai's Atlas runs for roughly four hours using a 3.7 kWh battery. Factory shifts typically last eight to twelve hours, meaning a robot would need two to three battery swaps per day.

For these reasons, humanoid robots may provide the first large-scale commercial market for solid-state batteries, ahead of electric vehicles.