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Cold water has just been poured over the immediate future of solid-state car battery technology.
Solid-state batteries have been spoken about as the silver bullet to range anxiety on electric cars, offering more than 1000km of driving on a single charge.
It was thought that solid-state technology might be just around the corner, with brands moving closer to commercialisation, but it now looks like it may be further off than first anticipated.
Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor at Tsinghua University Ouyang Minggao said solid-state batteries may require up to 10 years to reach one per cent market share.
Minggao had previously estimated an earlier adoption time for the technology, but has now cautioned the potential for an imminent arrival.
This lines up with comments from some major manufacturers, such as United States based General Motors (GM).
“Solid state is still years away,” GM Vice President - Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said.
There are also now questions about the safety of these batteries, with Minggao stating they are not “absolutely safe” as fine tuning continues. Increased safety of solid-state was one of the key advantages over other conventional batteries.
Next year is a big year for solid-state, particularly in China, with several manufacturers introducing prototypes.
Chery has been making the most noise about solid-state batteries, and has already announced two models to feature the technology.
In addition to the Exeed ES8 is scheduled for a 2026 launch, the brand’s Exeed Liefeng will be introduced in 2027. It will come with a Rhino S battery which is targeting an energy density of 600Wh per kilogram, taking driving range to 1500km.
BYD will begin small-batch production of its solid-state batteries next year, but it has not confirmed if any cars will be fitted with the battery.
Geely is another Chinese brand pursuing solid-state, with its first in-house solid-state battery concept to debut this year.
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