Honda Motor aims to double the driving range of its electric cars by the late 2020s when it starts adopting all-solid-state batteries, a new type of power source under development, the head of its research unit said on Wednesday.

Such batteries, in place of liquid-state lithium-ion batteries, will produce twice the driving range by the end of this decade and over 2.5 times more by the 2040s, said Keiji Otsu, president of Honda R&D.

Automakers and battery suppliers worldwide have unveiled plans to develop solid-state batteries, touted as a key technology to make longer-lasting, safer and cheaper electric vehicles amid slowing growth in the segment.