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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallNot yet. Factorial Energy says its FEST solid-state cells are being tested in a Dodge Charger Daytona mule, but a vehicle test and company-reported cell figures do not establish mass production or a proven lead over Toyota. Toyota’s published target is to begin commercializing all-solid-state batteries for battery-electric vehicles in 2027–28; that, too, is a goal rather than a guaranteed launch date.
What is the American solid-state battery in the headline?
It is Factorial Energy’s FEST battery-cell technology. An AOL report published October 5, 2026 says FEST cells are being tested in a Stellantis Dodge Charger Daytona mule. That makes this a vehicle test program—not evidence that customers can buy a Dodge equipped with FEST cells, or that the cells are being produced at commercial scale.
The distinction matters because a mule is an experimental vehicle used to evaluate technology. Testing cells in one can show that they have progressed beyond laboratory work, but it does not by itself establish production readiness, vehicle range, cost, safety at scale, or deliveries to customers.
What performance has Factorial reported?
The figures below are attributed to Factorial/FEST by AOL. The available reporting does not provide primary test reports or enough protocol detail to independently reproduce or validate them. Treat them as company-reported claims, not independently confirmed results.
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| Reported FEST figure | What it says—and what remains unclear |
|---|---|
| 375 Wh/kg | Cell-level energy density as reported by AOL. It is not a vehicle-pack figure, and the report does not establish a directly comparable Toyota value measured on the same basis. |
| 18 minutes for a 15%–90% charge | AOL reports this as a Factorial/FEST claim and says room-temperature conditions are needed for that rate. The figure should not be read as an all-weather charging time or as a complete charge from empty. |
| −30°C to 45°C operating range | A range attributed to FEST by AOL; the available reporting does not provide an independent test protocol or clarify performance throughout that range. |
| More than 600 cycles on 77-Ah cells | A figure reported by AOL for Factorial/FEST cells. The reporting does not specify the full cycling protocol, retained capacity, or an independent validation. |
| Approximately 80% compatibility with existing lithium-ion production methods | A FEST claim reported by AOL. It does not mean that 80% of a particular factory can be converted without new equipment, investment, or process changes. |
These figures describe different attributes and have different evidence gaps. In particular, cell energy density cannot be equated with pack- or vehicle-level energy density, and a charge-time claim is meaningful only with its charge window and temperature conditions. Without matched methods and independently reported results, the numbers cannot settle which company has the better production-ready battery.
What is Toyota’s actual roadmap?
Toyota’s 2023 technology roadmap described all-solid-state batteries for BEVs as being in product development, alongside work on a mass-production method. It set 2027–28 as a commercialization aim. That is a stated target, not a promise that a retail vehicle will be available everywhere by a particular date.
Toyota has also described steps toward production with industrial partners. In 2023, Toyota and Idemitsu announced cooperation toward mass production and named 2027–28 as the planned period to begin producing batteries for BEVs. Toyota said it had researched all-solid-state battery elemental technologies since 2006; Idemitsu said its work dated to 2001. Those company-reported research histories do not mean either had a commercial solid-state battery throughout that period.
In 2025, Toyota and Sumitomo Metal Mining announced joint development of cathode materials for all-solid-state BEV batteries. That is relevant materials and manufacturing work, but a partnership announcement is not evidence that a completed battery is already being made at commercial scale.
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- Toyota–Idemitsu cooperation announcement (2023)
- Toyota–Sumitomo Metal Mining cathode-material collaboration (2025)
Has Factorial beaten Toyota to market?
The cited evidence does not establish that. It supports a narrower conclusion: Factorial’s cells are reported to be in a Stellantis vehicle test, while Toyota has publicly set a 2027–28 commercialization target and announced work with partners toward production. Those are meaningful developments, but they are not equivalent milestones. A test mule is not customer delivery; a target is not a completed launch.
A September 2026 Scientific American discussion of Factorial and QuantumScape places vehicle testing in the larger challenge of scaling solid-state batteries. It reports Factorial cells being tested in Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis vehicles, while emphasizing the gap between cell claims and mass production. This is useful commercialization context, not independent verification of FEST’s specific performance figures.
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A separate AOL report says Factorial and SK On signed a memorandum of understanding and describes 2029 commercialization timing as tentative. Without the agreement or a current primary confirmation in the available evidence, that timing should be treated as provisional—not a firm production date that can be directly ranked against Toyota’s target.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What would prove a real lead?
A fair comparison needs results measured on comparable terms, followed by evidence that a company can make reliable cells repeatedly and deliver them in vehicles. The reported FEST metrics alone do not answer those questions. Relevant evidence would include:
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- Whether the electrolyte and cell design qualify as fully solid-state, rather than a different or hybrid battery category.
- Whether energy density is measured at cell, module, or pack level, using consistent definitions.
- Charging performance across a disclosed temperature range, with the charge window and test conditions stated.
- Cycle life under a published protocol, including the capacity retained and independent confirmation.
- Repeatable manufacturing yield, quality control, output scale, cost, and supply-chain readiness.
- Vehicles delivered to customers—not just prototypes or test mules—and evidence of safety and durability in those vehicles.
Until comparable evidence covers those points, “leapfrogged” is a headline interpretation, not a demonstrated technical or commercial result. The most accurate description is that Factorial has a reported automotive test program, while Toyota’s published 2027–28 commercialization goal remains a target whose achievement is not established by the announcements cited here.
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