Welcome to another story and another video in my One Company One Story series.

This time, Solid Power (SLDP).

Here comes the amateur legalese.

I began investing in companies and their stocks in the late 70s, but am Not a certified investment professional.

My style and history of investing is described in Dream. Invest. Live., a book I wrote by request – which came out as the Great Recession (the Second Great Depression) began. Don’t underestimate luck. Oops. https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0035XVXAA

My personal finance blog (a blog about my finances) is: https://trimbathcreative.net/

I am Not an investment professional. This is Not financial advice. 

Solid Power? Why does that matter? Let’s try that without the capitalization. Solid power? Why does that matter? Current electric vehicles (and have fun with using the word ‘current’ when describing anything electric, tend to use lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the technical enablers for our increasingly-electrified infrastructure. Cars predominate, but Li-ion (and have fun with ‘lion’s, too) is used in many batteries. They are why devices can be recharged more times and last longer than things like early laptops. Great. Now, let’s get back to solid power.

Lithium-ion batteries are not solid-state. Liquids are involved. No big deal as long as they work, right? But, liquids can leak. Internal flaws can lead to fires. And, there’s always something better. One reason I haven’t bought an electric vehicle is because I suspect someone would invent something that would eclipse the early technologies used on current EVs. 

Hello, solid power batteries. In Solid Power’s case, they are using sulfide-based electrolytes. They are solid, which is safer. Evidently, they should provide higher energy, and cost less than li-ion. ‘Should’ is the key term because new technologies always have a phase during their initial introduction when theory and ‘should’ meet practicality and reality. Witness some of the stumbles that autonomous vehicles are encountering as they ‘should’ not be causing video-worthy traffic jams, et al.

Solid Power is making product and making money. Sulfide-based technologies are less sensitive to geopolitical tensions over precious metals. As or if they prove their technology, their work should become better known. They are not the only alternative battery technology. (How about graphene batteries, which are based on carbon, which is an element that is also incredibly more available?)

I shall leave the technical spec comparisons to others more versed in the field. Solid Power does provide data on their product’s properties, but does not provide comparisons to Li-ion on their web site. But for me, that is just a bonus. If their claims of safer and lower cost are proved in the real world, that may suffice to create a profitable enough company.

The stock market seems to be debating the value of the company, something the stock market does for every company every second that the market is open. The company is down over 80% in the last few years, despite income being up considerably.

I’d dive deeper before investing because there is always more to know about any company, and because they have competitors that also warrant a look. (I’d also have to have something happen, like winning the lottery.) But, their technical approach and progress are encouraging. 

I don’t know what’s going to happen; but, I hope they survive and thrive. I’ll be watching.

The video: