With a range exceeding 1500KM, is a full solid-state battery worth waiting for?

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Source: China News Weekly

Ouyang Minggao: “A lot of people are waiting for solid-state batteries, but I think you don’t need to wait”

“Range over 1,500 kilometers”“Charging in 10 minutes”“No catches fire, no explosions”……These striking lab data make solid-state batteries seem like the ultimate answer for the future of electrified mobility.

Recently, multiple battery companies and automakers have gradually released their R&D progress on solid-state batteries and their production timelines. Many consumers who plan to buy cars are stuck: Should they act now or wait a bit longer?

At the 2026 Automotive Hundred Talents (Che Baijia) Research Institute Expert Media Exchange Conference, Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice chairman of the China Electric Vehicle Hundred People Association, said, “Right now, a lot of people are waiting for solid-state batteries, but I think you don’t need to wait. Today’s electric vehicles are already very good.” He said that solid-state batteries are expected to begin being installed in vehicles in 2027, but truly forming scale and reaching a 1% share of the market may still require five to ten years.

Solid-state batteries—the “ultimate solution” for electric vehicles?

Conventional lithium-ion batteries consist of four core components: a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte, and a separator. As the “carrier” for ion transport, the electrolyte uses liquid organic electrolytes. This structure determines the upper limit of its energy density (the current highest mass production is about 300Wh/kg), and it also carries a safety risk of thermal runaway under high-temperature conditions. The key breakthrough of solid-state batteries lies in replacing liquid electrolytes and separators with solid electrolytes, enabling a “no liquid” battery structure innovation.

In 2026, the industrialization race for solid-state batteries has entered an intense stage.

Japanese automakers, backed by deep material R&D foundations, have long dominated early solid-state battery development. Toyota had already laid out solid-state battery plans as early as 2006, aiming for small-batch pilot production in 2026 and large-scale mass production after 2030; Honda began trial production of solid-state batteries in January 2025; Nissan is building a pilot production line at its Yokohama plant, planning to launch mass-production models equipped with solid-state batteries in 2028.

As the world’s largest market for electric vehicles and traction batteries, China continues to accelerate the industrialization push for solid-state batteries.

On March 18, Chery Automobile, at its 2026 Battery Night event, announced the latest progress. Its “Unicorn (Rhino) 3” solid-state battery has an energy density already reaching 400Wh/kg, with a target of 600Wh/kg. In the future, it can achieve over 1,500km of range, and it plans to install and verify it on the Xingtu ES8 in 2027.

In January, at a strategic meeting of Geely Holding Group, Geely Automobile CEO Gan Jiayue announced that in 2026 it will complete the first self-developed solid-state battery Pack rollout and also start vehicle installation and verification.

EVE Energy (rights protection) announced on March 17 that its “Longquan No. 3” and “Longquan No. 4” solid-state batteries have officially rolled off the line. Among them, “Longquan No. 3” is aimed at the consumer electronics field and can operate below 2MPa, with a standout high volumetric energy density; “Longquan No. 4” is aimed at the power/traction field, with capacity increased to 60Ah, and it can cycle under a pressure of ≤5MPa, initially showing potential for practical application.

In addition, companies such as Gotion High-Tech, Phison, and SAIC Group have also all released clear R&D and industrialization plans in the solid-state battery field.

Ouyang Minggao introduced that China’s solid-state battery R&D truly began in 2024. Although it started later than overseas efforts by more than ten years, thanks to China’s industrial scale and talent advantages, patents newly disclosed in 2025 account for 44% globally, surpassing Japan to rank first worldwide. Industry organizations’ estimates show that as technology maturity improves and production capacity expands, the total global shipments of solid-state batteries are expected to exceed 700GWh by 2030, with solid-state batteries exceeding 200GWh.

Should you wait for solid-state batteries?

It is worth noting that although industrialization actions are frequent worldwide, the path toward large-scale commercial use of solid-state batteries is still complex and lengthy. In the short term, it is unlikely to form a disruptive replacement of the existing traction battery landscape.

In recent public remarks, Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor, said that the current “heat” around solid-state batteries has some “hype” in it; its real vehicle application still requires at least five years. He revealed that Great Wall Motor is still in a rigorous technical validation stage and is not rushing to push commercialization.

Wei Jianjun further explained that solid-state batteries as a whole are still in a period of technical breakthroughs and also face three real-world challenges: cost, safety, and performance consistency. Great Wall Motor focuses on a sulfide route with higher industrialization potential; it already has kilogram-level sulfide solid electrolyte production capabilities and has completed development of 20Ah-class cell samples. However, there are still many engineering issues to overcome before stable mass production. He also calls on the industry to view solid-state battery progress rationally and avoid overly conceptualized publicity.

Ouyang Minggao also clearly pointed out that technological breakthroughs are not achieved overnight. As a revolutionary technology with extremely high thresholds, solid-state batteries are still facing a series of scientific and technical problems that need to be solved urgently.

First, core technical challenges still need to be addressed. Solid-state batteries face scientific issues such as high impedance at solid–solid interfaces, lithium metal anode dendrite growth piercing the electrolyte layer and causing short circuits, and poor initial performance in cycle life.

At the same time, the market adoption of any new technology is inseparable from “scale effects.” Only when product output reaches a critical point will costs fall in a stepwise manner, enabling affordable pricing. The market adoption of solid-state batteries follows the same logic.

In addition, the messaging about “absolute safety” is also under challenge. From Ouyang Minggao’s perspective, solid-state batteries are not “the six-sided warrior”; rather, they can do better in safety, cost, and other areas, but only under the premise of providing higher energy density. After all, the technology is still in its early stage—many problems need solving, so it is not absolutely safe.

If solid-state batteries achieve mass production in 2030, the initial market penetration rate is expected to be less than 5% (about 150GWh). At that time, costs will still be relatively high (about 1,000 yuan/kWh), and they will mainly be used in high-end new-energy vehicles. As technology matures and production capacity expands, the market penetration rate of solid-state batteries in 2035 is expected to rise to 30% (about 900GWh), with costs dropping to below 800 yuan/kWh, gradually spreading to the mid-range new-energy vehicles priced between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan.

Ouyang Minggao said, “By the end of this year and next year, some test vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries will show up. But mass production on a large scale will most likely still require 3 to 5 years.” Therefore, for consumers with purchase needs, the best strategy is to “watch the future and enjoy the present.” New-energy vehicle technology always keeps iterating. Today’s liquid-battery models already meet the needs of most scenarios, and their prices and service ecosystem are more mature.

In Ouyang Minggao’s view, compared with solid-state batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries have a very clear cost advantage. Developing solid-state batteries and promoting the use of lithium iron phosphate batteries are not mutually exclusive—it’s not an either/or relationship. When solid-state batteries truly clear the three major thresholds—technology, cost, and safety—and enter the market at people-friendly prices, consumers will still have plenty of time to choose mature products. The real transportation revolution has never happened overnight as a single disruption; it is improvement day after day.

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