TOKYO Toyota Motor and Idemitsu Kosan have joined hands to develop and mass-produce all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, the companies said on Thursday.

The partnership follows an announcement in June by Toyota, the world's biggest automaker by sales, that it would introduce the high-performance batteries to improve the driving range and reduce costs of future EVs in a strategic pivot.

Idemitsu and Toyota said in a statement they would aim to commercialise the next-generation batteries in 2027-28, followed by full-scale mass production.

Toyota President Koji Sato and Idemitsu President Shunichi Kito will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Thursday.

Solid-state batteries can hold more energy than current liquid electrolyte batteries. Automakers and analysts expect them to speed transition to EVs by addressing their often limited range, which remains a major consumer concern.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)