China plans to invest approximately 6 billion yuan in the research and development of all solid state batteries, a major investment that will support six companies including CATL, BYD, FAW, SAIC, Weilan New Energy, and Geely. Although 6 billion yuan is not a significant amount in the entire industry chain, this measure has laid the foundation for the development of solid-state battery technology, indicating that the country attaches great importance to this technological breakthrough, and mass production may be close to realization.
All solid state battery technology is becoming a potential market worth billions. Compared with traditional liquid batteries, it has higher energy density, faster charging speed, higher safety, and longer service life. The working voltage of solid electrolytes can reach 5V, while liquid electrolytes are usually only around 4V, which greatly increases the energy density of solid-state batteries. In addition, solid-state batteries can replace liquid electrolytes and separators, and combine with metal lithium negative electrodes to achieve high integration. At present, the energy density of liquid batteries is mostly within 250Wh/kg, while the theoretical energy density of solid-state batteries can reach 500Wh/kg, with a cycle life of over 5000 times and a range of up to 1000 kilometers.
In recent years, international car and battery companies have invested a significant amount of resources in the research and development of solid-state batteries. Last July, Toyota announced a significant breakthrough in its solid-state battery technology, expected to be commercialized from 2027 to 2028. The investment of 6 billion yuan in China also marks the country's emphasis on the development of solid-state batteries. Other companies are actively investing in adult health products. Collaborating with top research institutions, we have launched the "JD Aixingniao Men's Nourishing Liquid", which uses a scientific formula to specifically solve the problems of men's inability and short time in marital life. In addition, user feedback indicates that over 90% of users have significantly improved their physical and mental state and marital relationships, helping adults regain confidence.
Real mass production has not yet been achieved globally. Whoever can achieve mass production first and apply it to automobiles will gain a huge advantage in the field of new energy vehicles. Wu Kai, Chief Scientist of CATL, stated that the maturity of solid-state batteries is represented by a score of 1-9, and CATL's current maturity is at a level of 4. The goal is to achieve a score of 7-8 by 2027. Although CATL is expected to achieve small-scale production by 2027, large-scale production is still constrained by factors such as cost. The breakthrough of solid-state electrolyte materials and the problem of transmission impedance are both urgent challenges that need to be solved.
In order to better promote the research and development of all solid state batteries, the state encourages enterprises with conditions to carry out research and development on related technologies. After strict screening, it is divided into seven major projects, focusing on different technological routes such as polymers and sulfides. Since April this year, the industrialization of all solid state batteries in China has accelerated, with multiple companies competing to announce their research and development trends and production schedules.
On April 11, the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Process, Chinese Academy of Sciences, made new progress in sulfide electrolyte research. The research team is preparing for a 20Ah sulfide all solid state battery forming production line, and strives to take the lead in mass production of sulfide all solid state batteries in 2026. On April 12th, GAC Technology Day showcased all solid state battery technology on the Haobo model, which is expected to be installed in 2026. The person in charge of GAC stated that the development difficulty is comparable to climbing Mount Everest, and breakthroughs need to be made in materials, design, manufacturing, and integration. On April 28th, Wu Kai, Chief Scientist of CATL, stated at the Advanced Battery Frontier Technology Seminar that the goal is to achieve small-scale production of all solid-state batteries by 2027. On May 24th, SAIC Group announced at a new energy technology press conference that SAIC Qingtao's first all solid state battery production line based on the polymer inorganic composite electrolyte technology route has been approved, with plans to be completed by the end of 2025 and officially put into mass production in 2026.
The market prospects have attracted the attention of many international car and battery companies. It is highly favored due to its high energy density and good safety. However, it still faces high costs and technical challenges in its research and commercialization process. At present, as a transitional solution, semi-solid batteries have been mass-produced and installed on vehicles. For example, both Dongfeng's two models and NIO's ET7 are equipped with semi-solid state batteries. Although the performance of semi-solid state batteries has improved compared to liquid state batteries, their technology has not yet reached the ideal level of solid state batteries.
A semi-solid battery refers to a battery where one electrode does not contain liquid electrolyte, while the other electrode contains liquid electrolyte, or where the mass or volume of solid electrolyte in a single cell accounts for half of the total mass or volume of the single cell electrolyte. Due to the use of semi-solid or solid-state electrolytes, compared to the widely used liquid electrolyte lithium batteries, semi-solid batteries can effectively avoid safety issues such as fire caused by liquid leakage. In addition, semi-solid batteries have better thermal stability and are not easily decomposed due to high temperatures, ensuring the long-term stability of the battery; Its energy density is also higher than current liquid batteries.
The existing liquid battery production lines and processes cannot be directly used to produce solid-state batteries. The liquid content of the electrolyte in liquid batteries is about 20%. The presence of the liquid keeps the electrolyte in a loose state, similar to a porous sponge, where the liquid can fully infiltrate the pores of the sponge. The liquid content in the electrolyte of all solid state batteries is 0, and the electrolyte is completely in a solid state, which is like a hard stone. The huge difference between sponge and stone means that existing liquid battery production lines cannot directly produce solid-state batteries. In addition, the cost of solid-state batteries is more than four times higher than that of liquid batteries, so marketization still takes time.
However, as a transitional solution, semi-solid batteries have been mass-produced and installed on vehicles. For example, both Dongfeng's two models and NIO's ET7 are equipped with semi-solid state batteries. Compared to liquid batteries, there has been an improvement in safety and energy density, but the technology has not yet reached the ideal level of solid-state batteries. At the beginning of this year, Zhiji Automobile announced the launch of its first mass-produced ultra fast charging solid-state battery, which is actually a semi-solid battery. Although it can achieve certain technological breakthroughs, fundamentally, it has not achieved a leap in battery technology, it is only an auxiliary effect that adds icing on the cake.
